New Beginnings
by tenspeed457
Summary: Seto Kaiba is a new student, and he meets Yami. Yami seems determined to remain alone and distant, but not if Seto has anything to say about it... lemon
1. Prologue

Although his hands were shaking, Seto Kaiba hid his anxiety well as he walked into the

building. How ironic that Domino high school, a small school in a small town, would be more

intimidating than all of the huge city schools he had attended already.

Somehow, being lost in a crowd was far less frightening than the idea of everyone noticing him

and knowing his name. He could feel countless pairs of eyes following him as he strode through the

corridor, but he did his best to push away any fear or discomfort he might of felt. He had learned that it

was best to hide your weaknesses from others if you were to get along in life. He stopped in front of his

first classroom; room 228, English with Mrs. Nolwenn. He took one final breath, clearing his head.

Well, it was now or never. He turned the door knob and entered the classroom.

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**~*~**

**Hey everyone... This is my first fanfic.**

**Don't worry, the next chapters are longer.**

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	2. Chapter One

*************Chapter 1 *************

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Yami had already been in his seat for the last half hour, struggling to finish last night's assignment. Mrs. Nolwenn had asked him why it wasn't done, and he told her simply, "I forgot." They both knew this was bullshit. He saw the worry in her eyes, but she didn't say anything, and he ignored her after that. He was so engrossed in his work that he barely even glanced up when he heard the door open. He then did a double take, when he saw a face that he didn't recognize. That never happened; every student in Domino High knew every other student. That was just how things worked. The newcomer's icy eyes briefly met Yami's before he broke the contact to resume writing.

"Oh! You must be Seto! Welcome! Come in, come in!" Mrs. Nolwenn gushed, fussing over the new student as if he were a very small child. The boy merely nodded, not saying a word. As the teacher bustled about, showing Seto the room, Yami glanced at him once again. Tall, lean, brown hair. Nothing out of the ordinary there. He had bright blue eyes, but again, that wasn't that uncommon. Sure he was good looking, but he exuded a chilly aura, as if it would be impossible to really get close to him. That was fine by Yami. As long as this guy didn't bother him, he would be perfectly happy. Yami shook himself mentally, writing furiously to make up for the lost moments, finishing the assignment just as the first bell rang, bringing with it a stream of students. To his irritation, he could feel the new kid- what was his name? Oh, yeah, that Seto kid- watching him as he got his stuff together. Although it made him very uncomfortable, he did his best to ignore the other boy completely.

* * *

Initially upon entering the classroom, Seto thought that it was empty until a slight movement caught his eye. There was a boy in one of the front row desks writing furiously. When he heard the door, the boy caught Seto's gaze for a moment, before going back to whatever he was doing, seeming totally uninterested.

Although the eye contact had lasted only a few seconds, it was enough to pique Seto's interest. Those eyes- crimson? He had never seen crimson eyes in his life. Hell, he didn't even know that they came that color, except on albinos, and even then, it was usually a lighter, less intense red.

It was then that the teacher swooped down on him, very flustered. He smiled; she almost reminded him of a chicken, the way she seemed panicked, and she kept making weird squawking noises. Finally, after much deliberation, she directed him to a seat in the back of the room (Will you be okay back there? Can you see? Are you sure?).

As he half listened to the woman's ramblings, and after class had started, he slyly studied the other boy from the corner of his eye. He really was pretty weird looking. Not in a bad way at all, but still, weird. For one thing, there were those eyes. His hair was tousled, sticking up oddly in places. The colors, like his eyes, were strange, but oddly enough, didn't seem unnatural. Bits of it were a dark red, auburn color, while other parts were closer to black, and among all that, there were streaks of sun-bleached blond. Some of the blond tresses kept falling into his face as he worked, refusing to stay put. He had bronzed skin, as if he had spent time in the sun, although given the amount of rain that Domino was said to get, Seto wasn't sure how that was possible. He was tall and lanky, muscular, and Seto had the feeling that he might be one of those people who all of the girls hated for his ability to eat an entire quart of Ben and Jerry's without gaining an ounce, but at the same time wanted to be with, because he was, well, gorgeous.

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**Hi everyone! I hope you like this a little better... I am still trying to figure out this site and how to get stuff to work. Sooo your reviews and comments would be appreciated. **

Thanks!

**:)  
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	3. Chapter Two

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*******Chapter Two********

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The first hour class had been very uncomfortable. Yami had felt like Seto had been watching him the whole time, but then again, maybe he was just being paranoid. Well, better paranoid than not. He made a quick mental note to be careful after school, in case this kid was one to be feared. Seto didn't seem violent or hostile, but you could never tell, especially with the stoic ones. Once they put up a facade, it was impossible to tell their real thoughts and motivation. He saw Seto once or twice in the hallways between classes, and in his last class of the day (chemistry), but until an incident at lunch, the day passed uneventfully. Near the bathrooms, Yami heard the familiar sounds of a fight in the making. He sighed, knowing that he should probably just keep walking, but curiosity got the best of him. He went to investigate, finding a small group of burly sophomores ganging up on one small freshman boy, laughing at him and every now and then landing punches. 'Dammit,' Yami thought wearily as he pushed his way into the squall.

"Okay, guys. That's enough. Just go to lunch." He knew the pacifistic approach wouldn't work, but eh, it was worth a try. Not surprisingly, they only laughed at him. This was not a smart move on their parts. Feeling irked, Yami stepped in between the antagonists and their victim, who had tripped and sat cowering against the wall. As the boys' laughter intensified (apparently they found the idea of Yami fighting all four of them quite amusing), they made it clear that they had never heard any of "those" stories. '_Shit_,' Yami said to himself. '_I've been letting my reputation slip_.' He narrowed his eyes at the leader, a fat blond kid who didn't look smart enough to tie his own shoes.

"Alright, listen up, you mother fuckers," Yami hissed venomously. "Don't fuck with the freshmen, or anyone else, for that matter, because I will not stand for it." He noticed a tall man at the desk in the office, behind the transparent glass barrier. He smiled to himself.

"Or what, faggot?" The fat one countered, just serving to piss Yami off more. "You gon' tattle on us, er what?" His cronies laughed stupidly. Yami put on his best condescending smile.

"Oh, no, fatty mc-fatkins. I would _nevmpff_-" Yami's sentence got cut off as the fat one threw a hearty blow that connected directly with Yami's jaw. _Fuck_ it hurt, but if things had gone as planned...

"_**MR. WEST, WHAT IN THE NAME OF GOD ARE YOU DOING?!?" **_Mr. Wheeler, the principal, stormed out of the office towards the conflict. Yami smirked, looking fairly sinister with blood on his teeth and hell in his eyes. Porky finally figured out that he had been set up.

"You miserable son-of-a-bitch!" he snarled, throwing another savage blow that landed on Yami's eye. Ok, that one had not been part of the plan. But whatever worked, because Mr. Wheeler was super pissed now, and he hauled the fat one away viciously. "You watch your fuckin' back, you piece uh shit gaywad!" the fat one screamed insults at Yami even as the principal yanked on his arm to shut him up. Dragging himself off the ground, Yami simply flipped him the finger before turning to the fat one's accomplices.

"Alright then," he addressed them, none of which were looking particularly brave now that they were leaderless. "Does anyone want to try me? Because I would be more than happy to beat the living shit out of you. And trust me, I could take all three of you at once. So? Whaddya say?" He smirked as they backed away nervously. "Good. I don't wanna have to get blood on my hands again." With that, they turned tail and fled. He chuckled quietly before turning to the little freshman, a short boy with long, dark, bushy hair who was trying to crawl unnoticed to the bathroom. "Come on," Yami said, hauling the boy to his feet and earning a look of sheer terror. "Don't worry, we'll go to the nurse." He tried to smile encouragingly, but his swollen lip, quickly blackening eye, and bloody teeth only terrified the boy further. He nodded violently, not wanting to anger this demonlike being. Aware that the boy was frightened, Yami attempted to put him at ease. "So,uh, what's your name?" he asked awkwarly. What? He wasn't exactly a social butterfly. He wasn't good at this kind of thing.

"M-Mokuba," the boy managed to squeak. Yami nodded.

"Good to meet you, Mokuba. I'm Yami." they walked in silence for a few moments before Mokuba let out a small noise that Yami almost missed. "What was that, Moku?" he asked, shortening

the boy's name to match his size. Mokuba flushed scarlet, stuttering in fear.

"T-t-thank you, Y-Yami," he managed to get out. Yami blinked in surprise. He didn't know how to respond to that. People didn't thank him. Ever.

"Uh, y-your w-w-welcome?" it was his turn to flush scarlet and stammer out a response. Unsure what to say after that, they made the rest of the journey in absolute silence. Although his speech was slurred from his swelling lip, and he could no longer see out of his left eye due to it being swollen shut, he felt awesome.

* * *

When Yami had made sure that Mokuba would be okay, he slipped out of the nurse's office as quickly and discreetly as possible. He didn't mind the school nurse herself, but he didn't like the idea of her trying to take care of him and being in his face so much. If he couldn't figure out how to take care of his injuries himself, then he probably deserved them. He did skip fifth hour, P.E, spending the hour in the bathroom, holding a cold towel to his eye instead. By the time the bell rang, signaling passing time, the swelling had gone down a bit, to the extent that he could see out of his eye once again. He sighed. It was best not to miss two classes in a row... and especially not chem. That class was a bitch even with perfect attendance and perfect notes.

As he walked through the hallway, a few people caught sight of his face, snickering and whispering, but most just ignored him. Upon entering the chemistry room, he shuffled to the desk in the front right-hand corner of the room. He had found that he preferred being in the front row as opposed to being in the back row, but not in the middle of the row. The teacher usually paid more attention to the back row, where all of the trouble makers sat, and since Yami was in the corner, the teachers rarely ever paid him any mind. Which was perfectly fine by him. As he was about to take his seat, a tall form appeared in front of him.

"Hello," the boy with the blue eyes from earlier said. What the hell did this guy want?

"Hi..." Yami replied skeptically. Surely this kid didn't want to be seen talking to him. He might not know it yet, but Yami knew that that would be the case sooner or later. Better to let him down now than to wait until it would hurt to lose his attention...

"I'm Seto Kaiba. You are...?" he held out his hand for Yami to shake. Yami pointedly averted his gaze.

"I-I'm Yami. Please, leave me alone." If Seto was taken back by the response, he didn't show it, merely nodding.

"Alright. It was good to meet you," he concluded pleasantly, making Yami feel slightly guilty.

"Uh- You too. Thanks." He wasn't sure how to respond to this kind of response. If he had gotten angry, and yelled at Yami, he would have been able to handle that, but this polite acceptance of it threw Yami. He sat down quickly, ignoring Seto for the rest of the hour, and rushing out of the room the second the bell rang. When he made it outside, he thought he was safe from uncomfortable conversations (or silences).

"Hey, Yami!" he turned toward the familiar voices, stopping dead in his tracks.

"Uh, hey, Mokuba. Hey, Seto."

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**~*~**

**Thanks for reading... suggestions are always welcome. Also, the more reviews in general I get, the better I will be able to figure this out...  
**

**:)**


	4. Chapter Three

Thanks for reading. Hope you all like it.

(I don't own Yu-gi-oh or the characters)

**~*~**

*********Chapter Three**********

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Standing there by the student parking lot were both Seto and Mokuba. Yami flinched unconsciously.

"Oh, um, hi... You two know each other?" He asked shyly. He was okay talking to the smaller boy, but Seto just made him downright nervous. Mokuba laughed.

"Yeah! He's my brother!" Seto allowed a small smile, barely nodding in agreement.

"And how did you two meet?" he asked, although Yami wasn't exactly sure who the question was aimed towards.

"It was really cool," Mokuba recounted, glancing furtively at Yami with almost reverence. Against his will, Yami could feel himself flush.

"It wasn't that cool," He cut in rudely before the story could go any further.

"Yes it was!" Mokuba insisted. "There were these guys, and they were bigger than me and I didn't like them, because they were being really mean, and they hit me." _Good lord,_ Yami thought, somewhat in awe. _This kid's energy could give even Yugi a run for his money..._ "And then Yami came in and was all like 'Hey, that's enough,' but they wouldn't listen so then he swore at them and one of them **punched him in the face!** And then the principal came out and the guy who hit Yami got in trouble!" Seto turned to Yami, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"Really? I must thank you for defending my brother." For some reason, this pissed Yami off.

"I told you, it wasn't that big of a deal. Really." The smirk that spread across the taller boy's features infuriated Yami further. He felt that Seto knew something that he didn't, and that always made him nervous. "Yeah, ok. Whatever." He turned to leave.

"See you in class tomorrow," Seto called after him. Yami refused to turn around, even as he felt the brunet's eyes following him. He reached his car to find Yugi standing outside the door, making faces at him.

"C'mon, Yami! Open the doors! I've been here **forever** and it's really fucking hot!"

"Oh, shut up!" Yami snarled, causing Yugi to giggle childishly. "Yugi, I'm not even kidding." Yami could see his brother shooting him suspicious looks, trying to figure out what exactly was going on.

"What's the matter with you?" the smaller boy pouted. "I'm just saying that it's really hot in the parking lot..." The hurt was evident in his voice, although Yami couldn't tell if it was sincere or not. He sighed heavily as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Okay, yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just in a really bad mood."

"Oh." Yugi was silent for a moment. "Does it have anything to do with the people you were just talking to?" Yami inadvertently slammed on the brakes, causing their seat belts to yank them back with a bruising force. Yugi let out a strangled squeak.

"Shit! Sorry Yugi, that wasn't on purpose... Uh, no. I'm just in a bad mood... I don't like school." He fumbled with the words, returning the rude gestures he had received from the drivers around him. Yugi remained silent the rest of the way home, but he kept glancing at Yami and shaking his head sorrowfully. Finally, Yami had had enough of it. "Alright! What did I do? Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Yugi sighed.

"Yami, you need to start making more friends. Seriously. You're the most antisocial person I know." He ducked as Yami aimed a blow at the back of his head.

"Yugi, if you know what's good for you, you'll shut up. Nowish," Yami fumed.

"Well, you know. It's for your own good..." Yugi muttered under his breath. The car lurched to a stop once again.

"Get. Out." Yami demanded through clenched teeth. Yugi stuck his tongue out at his brother, then hopped out of the car, sprinting the last few yards to their house. Yami sighed as he pulled into the oversized garaged. As much as he loved his brother, he was ridiculously annoying sometimes.

The second he set foot in the house, however, he turned around and walked directly back outside.

"Shut up! I've had enough of your shit!" An angry male voice came from the house, met by an equally angry female voice.

"Me shut up? You've had enough of **my** shit? Look at you, you lazy ass! All you ever do is fucking watch t.v. And drink beer! **All fucking day!**" Yami sighed, even more depressed. What the hell was Mom doing home? It was the middle of the day, for crying out loud. Normally, she would be at work- at the firm, or "at work," which meant at the house of whichever rich lawyer had caught her eye that week.

"Pleh," He made a disgusted sound, voicing how sick he was of today. He pulled his backpack from the car, nodded to Yugi who was discreetly walking to their neighbor Joey's house, and went around to the side of the house, sitting with his back against the wall and his knees pulled up to his chest. He really should work on that chemistry work... yeah. That was the last thing he wanted to do right now, but it had to be done. Sighing (funny how often he found himself doing that), he pulled his work from his bag and, turning his ipod to full volume, fought to focus on isotopes and ions and cations and all kinds of weird shit like that. He was in the middle of balancing a reaction, 10 Years blasting in his ears, when his arm was seized in a painfully tight grip, yanking him to his feet. Startled, he lashed out, hitting his assailant in the face, before realizing it was his father.

"Oh, sorry, Dad, I didn't- shit," He ducked as the large man threw an unsteady, drunken punch. "Dad, relax," he coaxed, attempting to calm him down.

"Shut the fuck up, you little bastard!" He spat, his words slurred and his breath reeking of alcohol. "What the hell are you doing out here? You shouldda been inside making dinner- god, that bitch is useless." Yami wisely held his tongue as he listened to the man slandering his mother. Whatever. Not like he cared much anyway what he said about her. She never stood up for him, so why should he defend her?

"What you looking at?" Yami tried to duck again, but the man's fist clipped his cheekbone, sending him sprawling to the ground. He recovered quickly, gathering his work and belongings while stuttering an apology.

"Ok, sorry Dad. I'm going in to make dinner. What do you want? No! Really!" The drunkard started yelling something incoherent. Shit. It was only four o'clock, and he was already this far gone? Tonight would be interesting, to say the least...

"Where the fuck is your stupid brother?" The man bellowed. Yami hesitated, not wanting to get Yugi in trouble also. Apparently, that was a bad move, if the blow to the gut, making him double up gasping for breath was any indication.

"He-he isn't here. He h-had to stay after- something about homework..."

"Goddammit!" The man swore, spitting on the ground. "Fucking useless son. And **you**! What the fuck are you still doing out here?" Yes, that was the question; why was he still there? It was clearly hazardous to his health... As quickly as he was able, Yami practically sprinted into the kitchen, where his mother was screeching into the phone. He swore under his breath, digging in his pocket for his cell phone. He quickly dialed his brother.

"Yeah? What is it, Yami? Are you okay?" Yami couldn't help smiling at the concern in his brother's voice.

"Yeah, I'll live. You'd better not come home for a while, though. Just for the record, you're still at school working on homework or a project or something. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Yugi sounded depressed. "You sure you're gonna be okay?" Yami grimaced.

"Hey, I told you that I'll live. Have fun with Joey." He hung up before Yugi had a chance to protest. Rummaging frantically through the freezer, he pulled out a tupperware container with frozen spaghetti. _Don't even __**want**__ to know how long this has been in here..._ he couldn't even remember the last time they had eaten spaghetti. _Oh well._ Anything would do at this point. He microwaved the frozen chunk of noodles while his father resumed his station in the living room, randomly shouting unintelligible sounds into the kitchen.

Within 15 minutes, Yami had assembled what looked like a good dinner. Okay, so the noodles were kind of over cooked... and the salad was a little limp... and all they had left in the house to drink (besides beer, of course) was Mountain Dew... but other than that, it was clearly gourmet. He hurried to his room with his portion, hoping that no one would notice his absence. After securely locking his door, he mustered all of his self-control and motivation, working straight through the rest of the chemistry work and continuing to finish the English. He fell asleep fully clothed, schoolwork spread across the bed, dirty dishes at the end of the bed. All in all, it had been a good night.

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**~*~  
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**A/N: Okay, so I hoped you liked this. I feel like things are moving kind of slowly, but that's okay, right? I don't want to rush things yet... heh. Sorry it took me a while to update. It won't be that long this time. ^_^**

**soooo tell me what you think! thank you! **

**~alex~  
**

**:)**


	5. Chapter Four

Alright, so this is the edited version. Sorry about the mistakes, but thanks for pointing them out. :)

(I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh)

*************Chapter 4 ************* (edited)

After Yami denied playing much of a part in helping Mokuba, Seto found himself staring after him as he stalked off to his car, where what looked like a smaller version of him was waiting to be let in.

"Hey, Seto. Let's go home, okay?" Mokuba's voice shook him from his stupor, but he couldn't help but sneak one last glance toward Yami.

"Yeah... Okay. Go ahead and get in the car," He told Mokuba absently. He stopped suddenly. "What?!" he demanded, not at all liking the sly grin on his brother's face.

"Oh, nothing. Just ignore me," Mokuba replied, still grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"No, seriously! What the hell does that look mean?"

"You like Yami!" Mokuba squealed, scrambling to get in the car as quickly as possible. Seto felt his cheeks burn as he searched for a retort.

"No, I-I've only talked to him like, one time! He doesn't even like me! Just shut up, okay? Okay?" He stuttered. Mokuba shrugged innocently.

"Ooookaaay... whatever you say." Seto was fuming. Since he had never brought home a girlfriend, his parents and Mokuba had made the assumption that he **must** be gay (even though he had never brought home a boyfriend either), and never passed up a chance to tease him about it. They relentlessly harassed him, digging for a confession, either one way or the other. This pissed Seto off to no end. Like this shit wasn't hard enough to figure out already, without the added pressure from them... He didn't know what he was. He never had really liked any of the girls he had known, although he found some of them physically attractive, but he knew that he was at least a little attracted to guys as well. He had never had any experience dating, though, so he was still unsure about his feelings.

"Seriously, though. What really happened?" He asked after a long, uncomfortable silence.

"Heh heh heh... I knew it!" Mokuba shouted triumphantly.

"No! I just want to know what the hell happened!"

"Whatever. There were these guys who were pushing me around, and Yami helped me. He was really nice, even though he was a little scary." Seto frowned. It seemed odd that Yami would go out of his way to help Mokuba, whom he didn't even know, when he made such little effort to stand up for himself when the other students harassed him.

"So are you going to tell him?" Mokuba asked. Seto sent him a scathing look that silenced the boy for the rest of the way home.

* * *

That night, Seto tried his best to concentrate on homework, but found that his thoughts kept straying to Yami, and others' treatment of him. In the bigger city schools where Seto had previously attended school, there was not as much open homophobia, but here, it was to be expected. Domino was a stereotypical small town. There was a trailer park across from the elementary school, and a cow farm across from the high school. On warmer days when the wind blew the wrong way, the smell was almost unbearable. The town its self was surrounded by acres and acres of fields yielding mostly corn and soybeans, and there was a large fruit farm down the street from the school. Most of the people in the vicinity were rather conservative in their religious beliefs, so Seto could see how homosexuality would be strongly frowned upon. _Why do I even care?_ He wondered. _Yami really is__** not**__ my problem..._ he shook his head to clear his thoughts. **Chemistry.** That's what he was focused on. Chemistry- not some random guy he had met twice.

* * *

Although Seto arrived to class early the next day, Yami was nowhere to be seen until he stumbled into the classroom, panting and out of breath, more than five minutes after the bell had rung. His face was flushed, his clothing ruffled, and his hair stuck out at impossible angles.

"Sorry," he muttered to the teacher who barely acknowledged his presence with a slight nod of her head. Once again, Seto could tell that Yami was very pointedly **not** looking at him. As Yami sat down at his desk, the other students in the class did nothing to hide their snickers and whispered insults of him, and Seto heard the words "faggot" and "queer" at least four or five times. He wondered if Yami was actually gay, or if the words were meant purely as insults. In the conservative population of Domino, If Yami were indeed gay, that could explain why he seemed like such an outcast.

When the bell rang that signaled the end of class, Seto realized that he had taken only a few sentences of notes, rather than the very copious notes that he usually took. _Ok, Seto. Concentrate on school first, __**then**__ people, _he chided himself silently. As Yami scrambled to gather his belongings and bounded out of the room, Seto couldn't help but notice a bruise that was definitely new from yesterday. He frowned. He remembered that when Mokuba had explained the day's events, Yami had been punched first in the mouth and then in the eye. Not once did he mention that Yami had been struck on his cheek, almost to his hair line. He resolved to ask Yami about it in chem, but he could pretty much predict Yami's reactions.

* * *

He had overslept. Great. His dad was still home, bellowing up the stairs.

"Get out of bed, you lazy fuck! What do you think you're doing, still sleeping?" Yami cursed under his breath, frantically trying to gather his wits and belongings.

"I-I'm coming, dad! I'll be right down!" Of course, it was just his luck that his mother had already left, so Yami was on his own dealing with the blob of a man downstairs. Hopefully, Yugi had already caught the bus. As he bounded down the stairs and sprinted out of the house to his car, he saw his father in the kitchen, clutching a cup of coffee and a bottle of aspirin. His eyes were bloodshot and sported dark circles beneath them. Yami couldn't help smiling a bit at his appearance. He deserved every hangover he got.

* * *

He dreaded walking in to the classroom, but he didn't really have a choice. The last thing he wanted to do was fail a required class and have to retake it. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door, keeping his eyes trained on the floor. He mumbled a quick apology for disrupting class and took his seat quickly, completely ignoring those around him and their insults.

Seto took his normal seat in chemistry. He tried to pay attention (really!) but the lesson was torture; he had to force himself to not look at the back of Yami's head the whole time. Finally, the last bell of the day rang, and before the other boy could disappear into the crowded hallways, Seto called out to him.

"Hey, Yami!" Yami turned to face him, looking slightly irked.

"What do you want, Seto?"

"Um, well, what happened to your face? Are you ok?" Seto smacked himself mentally. He sounded like a complete moron, and judging by the expression on Yami's face, he agreed.

"Nothing happened. Okay?" He turned to walk away without another word, leaving Seto staring dumbly after him.

* * *

What the fuck was with this guy? What did he want, and why would he notice or care? Yami couldn't figure out what Seto might want with him. Because he had to want something, you know. They always wanted something, no matter how nice they seemed at first. After all, why would someone like Seto Kaiba want anything to do with someone like Yami?

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**A/N: Hi. This chapter is a little bit shorter, but it was the only way it would work to break it up. the next one will be a lot longer, and also much much more eventful. Thank you all for the reviews, and I'm glad that people seem to like it. I'm getting the hang of this, I think. ^_^**

**So I'll update pretty soon; the next chapter is almost all the way typed. don't forget to review, and thank you for reading!!!**

**Thank you for pointing out major errors in plot or details or whatever. I didn't notice them when I was proofreading, probably because I know where the story is going.**

**I apologize for the errors, and I appreciate your support. :)  
**

**~alex~  
**


	6. Chapter Five

**Caution- This chapter contains kind of graphic rape... sorry. **

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

*************Chapter 5 *************

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The next week and a half passed rather uneventfully. Seto still got distracted by the spikey-haired boy in the front of the classroom, and said boy continued to make an effort to ignore Seto completely. The Thursday after Seto had first showed up, they received their chemistry tests back. The entire class groaned as the teacher wrote the class average on the board: a fifty-four. Seto was pleased with his score of eighty-three (it was passing!), but he saw Yami's face pale drastically when the teacher announced that anyone with less than a sixty-five would need theirs signed by a parent.

After class, Seto moved **very slowly** as he listened in on the conversation between Yami and the teacher.

"But it's so close! It's only like two points away!" The boy sounded panicked. The teacher shook his head sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, Yami. I can't make an exception for you, though. That wouldn't be fair to anyone else..." Yami's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry..." He dejectedly walked from the room. Seto picked up his pace to catch up with him, and before he had even called out, the other boy spun to face him. Seto was shocked to see that Yami looked close to tears.

"What the fuck do you want?!" Yami snapped at him. "Why do you keep following me?" Seto was at a loss for words.

"Uh, I-I'm not, I just, um, wondered if you were okay?" He knew that he sounded like an idiot. Yami sighed in irritation.

"Look, I've told you before to leave me alone. Okay? I'm fine, and we're both better off if you just leave me the fuck alone." With that, he stormed off. Seto's forehead wrinkled in concern. Clearly, something was_ very _wrong.

* * *

Yami couldn't believe it. Why? Why hadn't he studied just a little longer, been just a little bit less stupid? Why hadn't he paid better attention? He had made stupid mistakes on the test. Why this week when his mother was out of town?

"Fucking hell," he cursed under his breath, knowing that he was stuck. Hopefully, his dad would be in a decent mood tonight...  


* * *

_**Smash!!!**_ Yami's vision blurred as he hit the wall hard, sliding to rest on the floor, only to be roughly hauled up by his arm again.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you fucking stupid, you useless piece of _shit?!?_" His father's breath reeked of alcohol. The man spat in his face. He tried to stick up for himself.

"D-dad! Wait! Listen, please! E-everyone failed this test! The class average was a-" He was cut off as a large fist connected with his head. He could already feel a trickle of blood running down his scalp from where his father's ring had slashed it open.

"Shut up, you little fuck! After all I've done for your lazy ass! I let you live in _my_ house, I feed you, I raised you! And for what? So you can go and fuck around like the bastard you are and just throw all my work away?!" Yami lay in a heap on the floor, but the man grabbed a fistful of his hair, painfully pulling his head back. "Shit, boy. You don't know how good you got it here. Hell, maybe I should show you just how much worse it can get." the predatory eyes left Yami with no doubt what the man intended, nor did they miss the look of dread that flickered across Yami's already battered features. "Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you, you little slut?" His father laughed cruelly as a small whimper of fear and pain escaped the boy. Suddenly, the man flung Yami once more against the wall as the door opened and slammed shut.

"Hello? Dad? Yami? I'm home," Yugi called. Yami had never been happier to hear his voice. "Oh. Uh, what's going on?" he asked cautiously as he walked into the living room, unsure of what to make of the scene that lay before him.

"Yeah, you see your brother, Yami?" Their father hissed, kicking Yami sharply in the ribs. "He tries. He's not a fucking waste of space," He spoke as if Yugi wasn't standing right there in the room. Then, leaning down so that only Yami could hear him, he whispered venomously, "Don't worry, slut. I'm not done with you yet," before storming into the kitchen where the brothers could hear him rummaging through the refrigerator.

"Jesus, Yami," Yugi spoke in a hushed tone as he bent to help his brother to his feet. "What the hell did you _do?_" Yami grimaced.

"Bad test...You'd better stay away from both of us tonight. You know how paranoid he gets if you hang around me all the time, and he's... especially bad tonight," he warned Yugi. Yugi nodded, but couldn't hide his concern for his brother.

"Will you be... okay tonight?" he asked tentatively. Yami gave a short, bitter laugh.

"Probably not. I'll survive, though. Don't worry about me."

He closed himself in his room, locking the door behind him, knowing full well that it would make no difference whatsoever later. Shit, he wanted Yugi to stay with him, with his soothing presence and kindness... he knew that would be a bad idea, though. The farther away from Yami he was when their father got like this, the safer he would be. He couldn't stand the thought of Yugi getting hurt because of him, and he would rather take the brunt of their father's anger than allow him to take it out on Yugi.

He sat on the bed, his stomach churning violently. It kept trying to expel its contents despite the fact that it was empty. Yami could feel his heart speeding up, and his breath became short and erratic. Frantically, he dug through his bag, searching for the one thing that could lessen his panic attacks. He felt calmer the second his fingers closed around the cool metal. He ran his fingers over the edge of the razor, savoring the sharpness. Tonight called for drastic measures. Usually, he didn't cut on his wrists or ams (too noticeable), but it was the best place to cut, and right now, he didn't care who noticed and who didn't. He needed this. He examined his arm, searching for the right spot. He pressed the edge against the taut skin on the inside of his forearms, closing his eyes before slashing quickly downwards. His breath hissed out of him at the feeling of release. He examined his work. It was very... pretty, very well done. It wasn't deep enough to be anything serious, yet it was deep enough that the skin spread apart, making the cut look wider. It was like when a surgeon made the first incision on a patient, and the skin spread open beneath the blade. These left the nicest looking scars...

He repeated the process a few more times, until his head felt clear and the blood ran freely on his arms. Frightened, exhausted, and aching, he drifted off into a fitful sleep, dreading what was yet to come.

* * *

He wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep when the rattling of the doorknob awoke him, then the sound of metal on metal as a key teased the door open. Yami realized that he was trembling. He tried to still his motions, feigning sleep, but was shocked by a hard blow to his "sleeping" form.

"Wake the fuck up, whore," His father snarled at him, not loudly enough for the sound to carry down the hall to Yugi's room. He closed and locked the door behind him, and Yami's stomach lurched even more.

"Dad, don't do this. This isn't necessary, I'll try harder, I swear, I-nngh-" His pleas were cut off as the drunken man smashed his lips into Yami's. Yami tried to pull away, the smell of alcohol and filth as well as the situation sickening him. The man slapped his face.

"Hold still." Yami fought back tears as the large man undid his pants. He grabbed Yami by the hair and forced his face into his crotch. Yami closed his eyes in resignation. If he cooperated, it wouldn't be quite so bad. Defeated, he opened his mouth and took the man's penis into his mouth. Almost instantly, the large man began yanking Yami's head back and forth, thrusting into Yami's mouth and making him gag. _Dear god, please, just finish quickly, please please please..._ Just when he thought that his father was about to come, he stopped thrusting, pushing Yami back onto the bed.

"What-no! Dad, no, please! Please..." he sobbed helplessly as he was forced out of his pants.

"Shut up and hold still, you whore," his father ordered, slapping him hard. Yami bit down on his pillow, bracing himself for what he knew was next. He screamed into the pillow as the man thrust brutally into him, pulling his hair and wrapping his fingers around Yami's throat. Yami's vision started to go blurry as more pressure was applied to his windpipe, and he hoped that he would pass out from lack of oxygen, or, preferably, just die outright. Unfortunately, his father released his grip on his throat, taking one of Yami's wrists in each hand, pinning him down and making him feel even more helpless. Yami knew that he was babbling, begging, pleading, but he didn't care. Anything to just make this stop... and then, as if he hadn't already done enough, the man began stroking Yami. Yami cursed his body as it instinctively responded to the physical stimulation.

"Yeah, you really are a little slut, aren't you? You love this, you bitch," his father kept up the constant stream of cruel words as he continued. Finally, Yami's body betrayed him completely, and he came, tears flowing freely. "Fuck! Fuck yes!" The man on top of him thrust a few times more, more violently and cruelly than before, then released inside of Yami. After slapping Yami harshly on the cheek, he pulled out of him, spitting on his prostrate form. "Tch. Look at you. You're disgusting, you know that?" He laughed as he left Yami laying crumpled on the filthy sheets. All Yami could do was hug himself, shivering violently, his body curling in upon itself as he cried silently.

His only consolation came from the knowledge that the man was done for the night; Yugi would be safe. Unable to stand sleeping in the bed, he dragged himself to the floor, where he curled into the fetal position, cursing both himself and his father, unable to sleep, until morning.

The next morning, Yugi knocked on his door.

"Sorry, Yugi. I-I don't feel too good. I'm not going to school today..." He called out, his voice hoarse from the crying and screaming.

"Oh... uh, Yami? You okay?" Yugi's voice wavered.

"Uh..." Yami moaned in pain. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a cold or something." the words sounded weak to Yami.

"Oh, um... okay. I'll see you later, okay? Um... I...I love you," his younger brother called to him, making Yami's eyes tear up and his chest ache.

"I love you too, Yugi. See you later..."

A little while after Yugi left for school, Yami heard footsteps on the stairs again. He flinched violently as the door was pushed open and his tormentor stepped in. The man laughed.

"Wow, you really are pathetic. What a useless piece of shit." Then, with a kick to the ribs, he left Yami on the floor again. Unable to stand the filthy feeling of his body, he tried to drag himself to the shower. Yami barely had time to reach the bathroom before he passed out on the floor, his head hitting the cold tiles with a loud crack.

He woke up God only knows how much later, his entire body aching. He struggled to sit up, his head pounding as the memories from earlier came back. He moaned, angry with the disgusting man who had hurt him again; angry with himself for allowing that to happen again. He dragged himself to the bath tub, filling it to the top with hot water. It hurt his skin terribly as he lowered himself into the steaming bath, but he could feel it burning away the filth. He turned the shower on as he sat in the bath, letting the hot water fall on him like a cleansing rain. Sitting in the safety and warmth of the bathroom, hugging his knees to his chest, he closed his eyes, pretending, as he had done since he was young, that he was somewhere far away, sitting in a tropical pool underneath a waterfall.

"Why can't I just be someone else?" he lamented absentmindedly. "Anyone else, anywhere else." Although he knew that others were in his situation, he felt completely alone, alienated from the rest of the human race. He felt like a freak.

* * *

**A/N: Hey, everyone. Don't hate me for this chapter... I'm so sorry Yami! I am really sorry! *cries***

**I didn't really know that this was going to happen... but then... it just sort of did. Again, I'm really sorry if you don't like it.  
**

******As always, please review... be brutally honest. It's okay, really. **

******I appreciate your support, as well as all of you who point out stuff that I've messed up. Sometimes I don't notice things while I'm proofreading, so thank you for your kindness in pointing out my errors.  
**

A few quick notes, just for the heck of it. ~I kind of based Domino after my hometown. There is a trailerpark across from the elementary school and cows across from the high school. The trailer park is kind of scary, actually. A kid was stabbed to death there a few years ago, actually. T_T (RIP Brian. He was a nice kid.)

~When I was little, I used to pretend that the shower was a waterfall. Sometimes I still do, actually. Makes life more interesting.

~The cutting... yeah, that's from personal experience. Last time I did it, I was in the bath tub, actually. It turned out like Yami's did in this one, except there were only two or three. By the time I was done, the bath water was orangish... I know, I know. It's bad. Sorry if you didn't want to know that... :/

Well, thank you for reading, and tell me what you think! I'll be waiting!

~alex~


	7. Chapter Six

*********Chapter Six**********

(I don't own Yu-gi-oh)  


* * *

When the tardy bell rang, Seto noticed that a certain seat in the front row was empty. Remembering the other day, he waited, but by the end of the hour, it was evident that Yami was absent. He was mildly disappointed (not that he wanted to admit it); it was Friday, and he had been almost... looking forward to seeing the strange boy before the weekend. As much as he tried to deny it, both to himself and Mokuba, he kind of did like Yami. _Just a stupid crush,_ he argued. _We don't even talk, and he hates me, so it doesn't matter if I __**think**__ I like him._ Either way, he still looked forward to seeing him at school. By the end of the day, though, his luck took a turn for the better.

"So we're going to be doing group projects on any of the topics listed on this sheet," the chemistry teacher announced towards the end of class. "You will be working in groups of **two or three.** Not one, not four. Okay? I'll let you choose your groups while I pass these out." As he passed the papers to the class, everyone began talking at once. Seto sat there contemplating his good luck. He knew that if Yami had been there, he would have probably straight-up refused to work with him, although he wasn't sure who he _would_ agree to work with. He didn't seem to be too fond of anyone.

"Hey, um, do you wanna work with us?" An annoyingly high-pitched voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see that the voice belonged to a blonde girl, clad head-to-toe in Hollister. Standing beside her was an almost identical brunette girl, both of which were leaning over his desk showing a bit too much cleavage for Seto's comfort.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry. I already have a partner." They had taken him by surprise. "Thank you anyway, though." They didn't seem like the type of people he would get along with, but he didn't want to be rude. They looked extremely confused.

"Who are you working with?" The brunette asked, her voice even more nasally than that of her friend.

"Yami," He answered, watching carefully for their reactions. He hadn't really talked to anyone in the last week, and he hadn't had much of a chance to learn anything about the boy.

"Oh... are you sure you really want to work with him?" The blonde asked, her expression turning sour. "Especially like if you're working alone?" Seto raised his eyebrow.

"Why would you think that?" The two girls exchanged looks.

"Oh, so you don't know yet?" The brunette gave him a sympathetic look. "He's such a homo... he probably just wants to get in your pants. He might try to like, rape you or something. He's really perverted." Seto fought to keep his anger under control, but lost miserably.

"What, so every gay guy just want's to fuck every guy in sight? Is that how you think it is? Who decides what is okay and what is not? Why is heterosexuality okay, but homosexuality is considered something disgusting? Why do people act like gay people don't have the right to be happy? Why is that?" He realized by the stares that he was receiving from a good portion of the class that he had raised his voice. He turned his back to the two girls who had approached and were now gazing at him, open-mouthed, and strode to the front of the class.

"Yes, Seto?" the teacher looked up from his desk.

"Mr. Maio, Yami and I will be working together," Seto told him determinedly. A small smile spread across the man's face.

"Alright, Mr. Kaiba. I appreciate you standing up for him like that... thank you." He made a note that the two of them would be working together. Seto couldn't help thinking that he liked the way his name looked written next to Yami's before he chastised himself. _NO! This is not the time to get all sappy. This is strictly for school work..._ he knew that it was hopeless to try to convince himself.

On his way to the parking lot, his heart leapt when he saw a head sporting familiar, crazy spiky hair. Wait, that couldn't be right... this kid must be Yami's brother. He was almost a whole head shorter than Yami, and his eyes were violet instead of crimson. His skin was lighter, and his face was rounder, more childlike and innocent-looking than Yami's.

"Hey!" he called out before he could stop himself. The boy looked surprised. "Hey, um, are you Yami's brother?" He asked him, sounding stupid, but the boy nodded. "Oh, well, I was wondering if you had his number, because I'm supposed to do a project with him, but he isn't here today, so I wanted to call him and let him know about it..." He was rambling and he knew it, but the kid's face broke into a smile.

"Yeah, you can have his number. I'm Yugi. Who are you? I don't know you. Are you new? There's a new kid in my grade, too. Are you two related?" Woah, too many questions.

"I'm Seto Kaiba, and my younger brother Mokuba is a freshman. Yes, we're new here." Yugi rattled off a phone number, and Seto quickly typed it into his phone. "Um, is your brother sick or something?" The smile fell from Yugi's face, replaced by a darker expression. Although he tried to hide it, Seto's eyes caught the change of demeanor.

"Yeah, he just... didn't feel good today. He should get better by Monday, though. Thanks for asking. Well, I'd better go. I have to catch the bus." As he turned, Seto caught his shoulder.

"Hey, did you want me to give you a ride? You could meet Mokuba, if you want. He hasn't made any friends, yet, and he's kind of shy around new people... only if you want to, though," he added, noticing the hesitant look on the boy's face. He wasn't sure why he was grasping so much, but he didn't want to pass up this opportunity to make any connections to Yami. So maybe he was a little bit obsessive, but hey. It could be worse, right?

"Um... I don't think that would really be a problem... I'll just call and let him know that I won't be home right away." Seto breathed a sigh of relief as the smaller boy turned to place the call. He hadn't meant to sound like such a creeper... He wasn't used to actually dealing with people on an emotional level before. Up until now, he had tried to keep his relations with others more basic and businesslike. It made things far less complicated.

"Seto!" His brother's excited voice reached his ears. He felt sort of bad for the kid; he hadn't been lying when he told Yugi that he hadn't made friends. He was really outgoing around people once he had met them or when he was around other people he already knew, but he was deathly shy when he was around only strangers.

"Hey, Mokuba! Have you met Yugi? He's Yami's little brother," He introduced Yugi as he snapped his cell phone shut. "Yugi, this is my brother Mokuba." The two boys shook hands, a little tentatively, but each smiled warmly at the other.

The entire way home, the two chatted in the back seat about popular card games and videogames. Yugi told Mokuba that he was in the school's game club, and invited him to the next meeting, to which Mokuba readily agreed. Seto smiled. He had the feeling that the two would soon be good friends.

When Yami got the call from Yugi, he tried to sound as cheerful as possible., telling him that he was feeling better (although unless feeling better entailed cutting yourself and hating yourself more and more, that was a complete lie). He wanted his brother to have fun, but at the same time, he ached for the company. Yugi's presence was soothing, and made him feel safer. _Pathetic,_ he chided himself. _I'm a sorry excuse for an older brother. I'm supposed to be comforting him, not the other way around._ As much as it didn't make sense, Yami couldn't help but blame himself for everything that had gone wrong in his family. He knew that he had been a mistake; he was the reason his parents got married in the first place, as his mother had gotten pregnant while the two of them were dating. Because of this, both his mother and father acted resentful towards his presence, and had made no efforts to conceal the fact that he had not been wanted.

"Hey, you lazy piece of shit!" He flinched violently as his father's voice assaulted him. "Hey! I'm gonna go out tonight! You better not get any faggy ideas while I'm gone! Keep your little faggot friends away from here!" His dad sounded to be in a good mood... as long as he stayed **away** from Yami, life was good.

"Okay, dad," he called, hoping the man would just hurry up and leave already. "Um, have fun..." He tried being nice once in a while, and sometimes, it payed off. Not always, but sometimes. He was met with a few moments of silence.

"Hey, kid, you know that I love you." _Shit, no, not this. Just shut up._ This was the worst. His father's kindness hurt far far worse than anything else. His voice broke as he tried to answer.

"I-I love you too, dad." That was the worst part: he really did still love his dad, regardless of all the horrible shit he put him through. He couldn't help it. He hated the man with every fiber of his being, but he still retained that small, powerful spark of love for the sick bastard.

That was how it had been in the beginning, too. His dad had been an okay dad when he was younger. His parents had still at least liked each other, and he would take Yami with him fishing or hiking, or whatever he was doing at the time, like a normal father and son. Then, as his parents had begun fighting more and more and after Yugi had been born, each parent seemed to take out their anger on the one who couldn't fight back. Mainly, his mother's abuse consisted of harsh words and cruel statements, but his father continued getting more and more physically abusive as the years progressed. The first time his father had... _touched _him (he couldn't bear to even _think_ the word "rape") was when Yami was ten years old. The man had been drinking that night as usual, but his mother had taken Yugi somewhere, leaving her elder son and husband alone in the house. As usual, it began with a hit here, a slap there, but as Yami cried, his father got angrier and angrier, and things escalated. Afterwards, as Yami shivered, clutching himself and sobbing, his father had cried and apologized, telling Yami how much he loved him and how sorry he was. To this day, after these... "episodes," his father would end up telling him that he loved him. Yami was powerless to this form of torture. He felt dirty; his father was right; he was a slut. After all, he shouldn't still love the man, not after all he had put him through. The only explanation was that Yami must subconsciously like it, like his dad said, and he hated himself for this. Yes, he was a slut, and he deserved all of his punishment. Yes, he was a whore, and he deserved every beating and all of the pain he received. Yes, he was sick and disgusting, and he didn't deserve to be happy.

* * *

A/N: aww poor Yami... :(

um... thanks for reviewing, I'm working on getting things moving faster than they are right now.

~alex~


	8. Chapter Seven

So this chapter is really long, but it didn't work to split it up, so just bear with me, please. I don't own Yu-gi-oh.

(Thank you, Krista.)

*************Chapter 7 *************

* * *

Later that evening when Yugi and Mokuba were off playing TF2, Seto debated whether or not to call Yami. He didn't want to come off as being completely weird and creepy, but he could use the chem project as an excuse. Finally making up his mind, he flipped his phone open, scrolling down to the very last entry in his contacts list. Before he could second guess his decision, he pushed send and waited tensely as the call went through. He answered on the fourth or fifth ring, just as Seto was beginning to think that he wouldn't.

"Hello?" Seto frowned. His voice sounded different...Kind of hoarse. Maybe he had a cold or something.

"Hi, um, Yami?" _Goddammit, why can't I talk to this kid?_ He raged inside his head at the stupid way his words had come out.

"Yeah... who is this?" Yami sounded tired and a little disgusted, as if he expected this to be nothing more than a prank call.

"Hey, this is Seto- Don't hang up yet! Please!" Seto pleaded, worried that Yami would hang up the second he knew who he was talking to. "Listen, I'm sorry to call you when you're... sick," he paused, still doubtful of the validity of his excuse, "but we're doing projects in chemistry, and we're in a group, so I thought you might want to know." He then remembered to breathe.

"Oh... thanks for letting me know. Now good bye."

"No! Wait! Er, I mean, your brother is at my house, and I have to bring him home later anyway, so maybe we could at least choose our topic?" he knew he was grasping at straws, but he wanted to see that Yami was okay.

"What?! Why is Yugi at your house?!" Yami's voice rose in both decibel and pitch. Seto smacked his forehead.

"He's hanging out with Mokuba. Remember, my brother?"

"Oh... well, make sure he isn't home too late. Sooner rather than later," Yami demanded.

"So, do you want to work on our project?" It didn't hurt to be hopeful.

"I... don't think so. Not tonight. Bye." Before Seto could protest, he heard the line go dead. Well, they didn't have to work on their project, but Seto knew that something was up, and he wasn't going to leave without seeing Yami with his own eyes.

"This one, right here," Yugi told Seto as they stopped in front of a large house. Seto was surprised to see how nice the house was; most of the houses in Domino were mediocre at best, but this one looked to be almost on the same level as his own. _Almost_. Not quite. As he turned off his car and stepped onto the driveway, he tried to think of an excuse to go inside. Fortunately, Yugi saved him from that.

"Hey you two, come inside for a bit. You don't have to leave right away, do you?" Mokuba turned to Seto, putting on his most pathetic puppy-dog eyes.

"Please? It's Friday, so we get to sleep in tomorrow!" Pretending to be annoyed, Seto sighed heavily.

"Alright, we'll come in for a little while." Mokuba let out a shout of victory, and the two younger boys took off running into the house. Seto followed at a more reasonable pace, entering the house just in time to hear Yugi shouting.

"Hey, Yami! Come down here!"

"What do you want, Yugi?" Was the disgruntled reply from up the stairs. The smaller boy giggled.

"Just come here!" a moment later, Seto heard a door slam, and then the sound of someone walking very slowly down the stairs.

"What-" he stopped abruptly, his sentence ending in a gasp. Seto gasped sharply at the same moment; Yami's face looked terrible. His beautiful, delicate face was covered in dark purplish bruises and angry red scrapes. Both of his eyes had large purple shadows under them, as though Yami hadn't slept in days. Yugi seemed to be oblivious to the tension in the room as he chattered excitedly.

"Mokuba likes games too, and he's gonna go to the next game club meeting with me! And he likes all the same videogames, so we're gonna go play more!" with that, the two ran off, babbling incoherently about their "achievements." Yami glared at Seto, who was at a loss for words.

"What- what happened?" he asked softly.

"Nothing important. It was my own damn fault," Yami snapped. He sounded angry and defiant, but Seto could hear a slight hint of something like panic in his voice. He shook his head, refusing to accept that answer.

"Yami, really?" He took a few steps closer, stopping when he noticed Yami shy away from him. "Yami, just tell me what happened. I'm not gonna do anything to you... I just really want to know." The crimson eyes refused to meet his blue ones.

"Nothing happened, okay? Why do you want to know so badly? So you can just go spread more shit about me?"

"I would never do that. I heard people talking about you..." Yami tensed, as if he had heard this before and was bracing himself for the onslaught. "They were idiots. Narrow-minded, stupid, bigots. Yami, I'm... concerned. I..." He swallowed hard, not believing that he was really going to say this. He usually did _not _share his feelings unless it was an absolute necessity; although, he reasoned, it was necessary if he was to gain Yami's trust at all... "I...I..._Ikindoflikeyou_." There. It was out. Yami's expression would have been funny, if Seto hadn't been so concerned for his answer.

"No, you don't." Seto's heart dropped at the words. He sort of expected rejection, but still, it hurt. He'd never had any experience with this kind of thing, and this was the reason he found it best to isolate himself from the rest of the world. Yami's voice rang with defeat. "Don't even try that. It's already been done, and I'm not that stupid." Although he tried to hide it, Seto still picked up on the sorrow that permeated his words.

"Wha... yes, I do. I'm not just saying that to make you feel better."

"Pffft- make me feel **better?**" Yami scoffed bitterly. "Why would you want to make me feel better? Especially when you have this perfect opportunity to embarrass me, to hurt me? To expose me to everyone as the freak I am? Like I said, it's been done before, so just leave me alone." Seto's heart was breaking as the meaning of the other boy's words sunk in. How could anyone do that to someone?

"Yami, I swear to you that I had no intention of that. I don't even... I don't know what kind of sick fuck would do that to someone. You wanted to know why I keep 'following you,' as you put it? It's because I... like you. It's stupid, I know, and I've only talked to you, like, twice. Hell, you hate my guts, but I can't help it. I like you." His face was burning with embarrassment by this point, and although he was dying to look at Yami's expression, he couldn't make himself face the boy to whom he had just spilled his heart. After a long, uncomfortable silence, a small squeak made Seto sneak a glimpse at Yami. Immediately, he was next to him, unsure of how to comfort the silently sobbing boy.

"Yami, what's wrong? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... What did I do? Yami?" Seto was panicking by now. He didn't _think_ he had said anything terrible to him, but he wasn't sure. Yami shook his head forcefully.

"No, no no. You can't mean that... please don't do this to me..." The anguish in his voice brought Seto to tears as well, and he was unable to control himself. The innocent boy in front of him had been subjected to God only knows what kind of pain; he had been so broken. He wrapped his arms around Yami as he too began to cry, babbling pathetically.

"Yami, I mean it, I swear, I'm serious, please believe me..." The two stood there like that, crying and holding each other, until the absurdity of their situation struck them.

"Wow," Yami muttered, wiping his eyes roughly. "We really are a mess, aren't we?" Seto laughed through his tears, managing to nod.

"So... so does this mean you'll talk to me now?" he asked in a pathetic sounding voice that broke at the end of the sentence. Yami glared at him reproachfully.

"How could I not, when you sound like that?" he asked, feigning anger that sent both of them into fits of giggles again. "Oh, god. We are special. Do you want something to eat?" Yami offered awkwardly, but Seto shook his head.

"Thanks, but I ate... If you're hungry, though..."

"No. Let's sit down..." Suddenly, Yami's knees buckled beneath him, and Seto had to move quickly to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Yami, what's wrong?" he gushed, upset. Yami shook his head.

"I'm sorry; I hate to ask, but can you, um, take me upstairs? The second room on the right," he asked Seto, his voice sounding small and scared. Seto was very careful not to lose his balance or run into anything as he carried the boy into a bedroom that must have been his. Seto set him carefully on the bed, not missing the way Yami winced whenever he was jostled. As soon as he was on the bed, Yami moved slightly away from Seto so that they weren't quite touching, as if afraid that the slightest contact was something to fear.

"Okay, Yami. Please, tell me what is going on," he leaned forward, reaching his hand forward slowly to not startle Yami. He very gently brushed the boy's bruised cheek, a flame of anger rising inside of him. "Who did this to you?" Yami averted his gaze. "Yami, you can trust me. I promise. I know you hardly know me, but please, please trust me," Seto begged.

"S-Seto... I'm sorry. It's so hard to..." Tears began to gather in the scarlet eyes again.

"Shh, shh; it's okay," Seto whispered, wiping them away before they could fall as he tried to offer some comfort. Yami covered his face with his hands.

"But why would you be any different than the rest of them? How-how can I trust you? Fuck, I don't know you from Adam, and you want to know everything about me? My darkest secrets?" Yami didn't sound angry at this point; rather, his voice was weak and weary, as if living were an arduous task that he didn't really care to complete. Seto closed his eyes and shook his head, lightly pushing Yami's hair out of his face.

"I... I don't know what to say that will make you trust me, and I don't blame you. But Yami, you need to tell me if someone is hurting you- it's just wrong, not to mention illegal. You don't have to put up with it."

"It isn't that simple, though... you think I haven't considered getting help? Lot of fucking good that did me. They won't step in unless they have hard evidence that it's happening. Apparently my word isn't good enough. And Yugi... I can't leave Yugi to get hurt..."

"Who's 'they?'" Yami clammed up immediately, apparently thinking he had said too much. "Is it protective services? Yami, did someone... close to you do this?" Yami didn't answer, so Seto took that as an affirmative. "Was it your dad?" Yami just curled in on himself tighter.

"Seto... please don't tell anyone about this... People already hate me enough; I don't want them to know how weak I am." Seto's heart broke into two at the thought of Yami's pain.

"Hey, you aren't weak. It isn't your fault." Yami shook his head stubbornly.

"No, this time it was. I... I should have... studied more..." His voice trailed off at the rage that spread across Seto's face. He flinched slightly.

"This was about you not studying?!" Yami nodded fearfully.

"That test that we took..."

"That... That's why you didn't want to have to get it signed..." Seto whispered, almost to himself. "Bastard!" He hissed suddenly, feeling terrible as Yami jumped violently. "Sorry! Not you, I'm not mad at you," He reassured him, tentatively stroking his hair. "Yami... what exactly did he do to you?" Yami shook his head violently.

"No, no, no! I can't talk about it!" He was almost hyperventilating by this point, and Seto tried frantically to calm him down. Slowly and gently, he reached for the other boy's hand.

"Hey, hey, it's okay! It's okay." When Yami had calmed down to the point where he was only trembling slightly, Seto tried again. "May I?" he asked as he caressed his wrist. After a moment, Yami closed his eyes and nodded. Seto very carefully rolled back his sleeve, pushing it up above his elbow. The soft skin was mutilated, covered with deep lacerations. "Yami, did he...?"

"No... That was... me." Yami sounded as if he would cry at any moment. Seto did something that surprised himself. He carefully lowered his lips to the wounds, kissing them softly.

"What happened here?" he asked, frowning, as he noticed the bruised, chafed skin of his wrist. Yami didn't answer, and on closer inspection, Seto could see the faint impression of the large fingers that had gripped him so tightly. "Yami, can I see the rest of your wounds?" Yami flinched backwards, fear showing in his eyes. "Hey, it's okay, Yami. I don't want to hurt you; I just want to make sure you're not hurt too badly." Yami wouldn't look at him. "Please?" Finally, Yami moved to remove his shirt, grimacing at the movement. Seto caught his breath, and Yami's cheeks flushed bright pink. Huge purple and black bruises covered his chest and back, and in a few places, the skin had been broken. There were marks similar to those around his wrists surrounding his throat and on his shoulders.

"Yami, this is... this is terrible," he hissed. Yami buried his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry... I-I know it's... ugly." Seto couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"What?!? Why in hell are **you** apologizing?! You're the one who got hurt! Yami, you _do not_ deserve this. No one deserves it, except maybe the people who do this kind of thing to people." Seto was breathing hard, almost shaking with the injustice of the situation. As Yami shifted uncomfortably, something caught Seto's eye that made his blood run cold. "Yami... how did this happen?" He asked as he lightly ran his fingers over the marks on his hips, dreading the answer. There were clear impressions of fingers as well as deep fingernail marks, as if someone had been gripping his hips tightly from the back. Yami buried his face in Seto's chest.

"Ee lmphfs mm." his voice was muffled by the material of his sweatshirt.

"Huh?" when Yami raised his face to look at Seto, there were tears streaming down his face.

"He loves me... he really does..." Yami sobbed. "He... he said that he loves me." Seto clutched the boy's frail form tightly to his body, rubbing his back and stroking his hair as sobs shook him.

"God, Yami. I'm so sorry. You don't deserve this, please try to believe me..." A spine-chilling thought occurred to him. "Yami... what about... Yugi? Does he hurt Yugi like this too?" Yami shook his head.

"N-no. Just me. I-I-I told h-him that he c-could do whatever t-to me as l-long as he-he didn't t-t-touch Yugi..." Yami was crying so hard that he could barely get the words out. Seto was beyond words as he protectively hugged Yami close to his chest. That anyone could even lay a _finger _on someone as beautiful as Yami (he blushed) was almost incomprehensible; to break his spirit... that was unforgivable. Yami suddenly jerked, violently pushing himself away from Seto.

"W-Yami, what's wrong?" Yami had stumbled off of the bed and now sat crammed into the tiny corner of the room. He hugged his knees into his body, his eyes shut tightly.

"Please, just leave me alone," he whispered hoarsely. "Don't... just... please. Don't try to help me." Seto was shocked, stuttering protests. "Really. Please, don't do this to me. No one else knows about this. Please, I can't... I can't. Because even if you are full of good intentions now, you'll still turn out just like the rest of them, and if I trust you with myself... that... I can't handle that." Seto quietly made his way over to Yami's corner. Ignoring his cries of protest, he bent down and scooped Yami off of the floor and into his arms. "H-hey! Put me down!" Yami flailed his arms weakly, but winced as pain shot through his body, and he lay still.

"Yami..." he refused to look at Seto's face, apparently becoming very interested with the carpeting. Seto sighed sadly, setting him back on the bed, where he made no effort to move.

"I just don't understand... why you would care what the fuck happens to me. So you think you like me; it will end up that I can't give you enough of what you need, and you'd just... go about your business like you never met me. I mean, I'm sure half the girls in Domino would hop in bed with you in an instant."

"No! No, I don't just want sex. I wasn't even thinking of that, I swear." Yami rolled his eyes. "Yami, this is terrible. You've been treated like shit for no reason, and you've got yourself convinced that it's your fault. That is... so wrong. _None_ of this is your fault. Yami, you deserve to be happy." Once again, Yami had begun trembling. It tugged at Seto's heart, but he had to say it. "Yami, I don't want you to get hurt. I... I don't know how I can protect you, but if you **ever** need... help... **please** call me. I'm dead serious. I absolutely **will not** purposefully do _anything_ to hurt you. I... I want you to be happy..." he trailed off, unable to express the sincerity of his words. He waited as Yami fought (and failed) to hold back a few sobs before he turned his tear-streaked face to look at Seto.

"As much as everything I have ever learned tells me to just... run away from you, I-I want this so badly. I... I want... oh, God. I don't even know what I want. I want to feel like... like I'm not a mistake..." He shook his head, another sob escaping. "Which is stupid. I know it isn't right, but I feel like I don't deserve to even **want **to be happy. I said, I know it's stupid," he shushed Seto as he opened his mouth to protest. "but... I'm so tired of living. I want to feel like... someone other than Yugi actually cares whether I live or die..." He turned to face Seto, his expression serious, his red eyes searching. "But I swear that if this goes badly... If-if you turn out to be like **them**, and just use me and then throw me away, I don't think I can handle it... It will kill me. I-I don't mean that as a threat, it's just that- that I truly believe that. I want you to know how much of my shit you'll have to put up with. If you're gonna change your mind and flake out on me after a while, then just leave right now. Or better yet, just kill me. That would make things so much easier..." Yami was working himself up again, his breath coming quicker and quicker, his voice breaking in anguish. Seto clutched him tightly once again.

"Hey, Yami. Even if things don't work out between us...er...well...romantically... I won't abandon you. I'll help you in any way I can, I swear. Okay?" Yami nodded, although his expression clearly showed that he was anything but convinced.

"You-you should probably go..." He whispered. He looked exhausted, and Seto didn't want to push him any farther today than he already had.

"Alright. I'll go get Mokuba. And Yami," He took one of Yami's hands in both of his, giving the boy his most earnest look. "I truly care about you, so call me if you need **anything,** no matter how unimportant it might seem." Yami looked surprised, but nodded, biting his lip.

"O-ok. Thank you Seto..." he had practically shut his door in Seto's face, but Seto couldn't really complain. He hurried to call Mokuba, who was reluctant to leave (we just unlocked the newest spy weapon!), said good-bye to Yugi, and drove his brother home. Only when he was in the comfort of his own room did he reflect on the evening... he sighed. This would be... challenging... to earn the boy's trust. Of course, that was okay, because Seto Kaiba _never_ turned down _any_ challenge.

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**A/N: so there was this one time, when my boyfriend was over, and I was feeling really emotional and started crying. Then he got all upset and started crying, and then we started laughing and crying at the same time. It was hilarious. Anyway, that's where the part in this chapter comes from.**

**Also, thank you all for reading and reviewing. I love you!!!**

**~alex~  
**


	9. Chapter Eight

Sorry, this chapter is really short. I'm going to post the next one right away to make up for it...

(I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh)

**Warning**: This chapter is pretty much all about cutting, so if that bothers you, you might want to skip this chapter.

*************Chapter 8 *************

* * *

After Seto and Mokuba had left, Yami lay in his room pondering the night's events. As much as he wanted to believe that maybe, just _maybe_ Seto genuinely cared, he still felt as if it were too good to be true. _He can't be serious,_ he agonized; _there has to be a catch._ He knew that no one was ever that nice out of the goodness of their own hearts, except for maybe Yugi. If he didn't want to humiliate him, he must want sex or money, or maybe he thought Yami could get him drugs. He had to want _something._ It was nice, though, to feel like someone didn't think he was pathetic and disgusting. He sighed heavily.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," he chastised himself. He hated to admit it, but... he _did_ find Seto sort of attractive... and if he really was serious about wanting to help Yami, then he truly did like him. The problem, of course, was that he couldn't know for sure that Seto wouldn't betray him, and he couldn't confess to the other boy about his feelings until he knew for sure that he could trust him. Why? Why did things have to be so confusing? Why couldn't Seto have just left him alone? And stupid him had left himself wide open to be hurt again... He never should have said anything to him. He should have just flat out denied everything to the very end. After all, he'd been just fine for the last eight years without anyone else knowing. Why would he need help now?

He couldn't fall asleep, with all these stupid thoughts racing through his head. He tried to distract himself with homework, struggling through twelve pages of The Importance of Being Earnest, but even Oscar Wilde, who he usually loved, could do nothing to calm his mind. After reading the same part three times and still not understanding _what_ Cecily and Gwendolyn were talking about, he finally gave up, throwing his copy of the play against the wall in defeat.

"Fucking _hell!_" he exclaimed allowed, turning to glare at the clock, which read 1:30 am. He didn't particularly harbor any real resentment towards the clock itself, but rather what was inside the clock; what he hated so much, yet needed at the same time. "Goddammit," he muttered under his breath, but didn't stop himself from removing the clock from the wall. He turned it over and slipped off the back panel where the batteries were, revealing one of the many razorblades he had stashed around his room. Usually, no one really looked for them, but if Yugi noticed that Yami had been cutting, he would raid Yami's room, turning it upside down searching for his implements. On occasion, his mother would also go through his room, just to snoop, and she would confiscate anything that she considered "inappropriate." Her reasoning? If any of the partners (from her firm) saw her with her children, she didn't want either of them to give her associates any reason to doubt her. Needless to say, self-mutilation is not exactly indicative of perfect parenting skills. Although she had cleaned him out a few times, that couldn't really stop him. He was very... resourceful. Hell, some of his most prominent scars had been from paper clips, and nobody _ever_ really considered paper clips to be threatening or dangerous. After replacing the clock on the wall, Yami studied his arms very carefully. He couldn't have them too close together, so that they overlapped, because that would look... sloppy. It was best if they were parallel, and similar in depth and size. After all, he still wanted them to look good, even if he was the only one to see and appreciate them. Yes, he'd heard a million times how "sick" it was, how "twisted" and "unhealthy," but he still loved the way his skin looked after he had worked on it. He didn't exactly enjoy the pain, but he certainly didn't mind it. It helped clear his thoughts, allowing him to slow down his mind when it was working entirely too fast and he couldn't handle the feeling that he had no control over his life. Even looking at the delicate mural etched into himself could calm him slightly, and it was even better if he was able to scratch or rub it, causing the blood to gently ooze.

Holding the blade pressed against his taut skin, he struggled. Even after so long of doing this, his self-preservation instincts still screamed against him, willing him to stay his hand. Although they were strong, that made the outcome just that much sweeter; his adrenaline would kick in just enough that he would feel happy and excited even as the tension was bled out. After holding a deep breath for a moment or two, he exhaled forcefully as he quickly slashed downward. His breath turned into a hiss; the pain still came as a shock every time. It was as though he had suddenly been immersed in cold water; the clearness and peace of mind was so immediate. He could feel his heart rate slow, and his shoulders and arms relaxed, making him more aware of just how tense his muscles had been. After two more strokes, his breathing had returned to normal and he felt as if he might be able to sleep. After he returned the blade to its hiding place and used a tissue to slow the blood flow, he lay back on his pillow and closed his eyes in defeat.

"God, I'm so fucked up..."

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**A/N:** Many apologies if you don't like reading about cutting... I like to write about it. I have problems. :P

**soundofmadness223**: I hope you appreciate the paperclip reference...

Thank you all for reviewing. I like hearing what you have to say about what I write, so if you have any suggestions or anything, please, review review review!!!

~alex~


	10. Chapter Nine

(I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the music I reference)

*************Chapter 9*************

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The next morning, as hard as Seto tried to clear his mind, his thoughts just kept returning to the bizarre night. He couldn't quite wrap his head around everything... this kind of thing just did not happen. Not in real life, anyway. Poor Yami... and had he- oh, shit. He _had_ told Yami that he liked him. Not that it wasn't true or anything, but how on earth was he going to face him on Monday?

"Seto, what the hell are you doing?" His mother's voice jarred him back to reality.

"Wha- Oh, shit!" he frantically smothered the flames that were leaping from the skillet that had once contained eggs. He could hear Mokuba laughing at him in the other room as he stared mournfully at the charred remains of his breakfast.

"Why are you so distracted this morning?" His mother asked, yawning hugely.

"I dunno... just tired," he lied, knowing full well that she could see the blush tinting his pale cheeks.

"Seto's got a **boyfriend!!!**" Mokuba screeched, as he came in from the other room to witness his older brother's humiliation. Goddamn that kid.

"No I don't!" Seto argued back sharply. His mother's blue eyes widened mischievously.

"Oh, really? Oooooh, tell me about him!!! What's his name? Is he hot?" Seto's face was burning now. He couldn't believe his _mother_ was asking him all this.

"Dammit, he's not my boyfriend!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, his mother's face broke into a grin, and he knew he had messed up.

"Hahaha! So there **is** someone! I knew it!" He rolled his eyes as she high-fived Mokuba, both of them cackling evilly. Good Lord, she was just like a school girl.

As he scraped the blackened food off of the pan, he couldn't help but wonder what Yami was doing, and if last night had gone badly for him. _**Stop it!**_He chided himself as he blushed again. He sighed in defeat. Okay, so he _really_ liked Yami. He couldn't help it. There was just something about him that made Seto feel like he had to protect him... maybe it was the way he was never sure of himself when he talked, or the nervous way he walked, like he was expecting something to leap out at him at any moment, or the way he _always_ jumped to the defensive in any situation. _It's sad..._ Seto shook his head. Someone who was kind enough to take all punishment in order to spare his younger brother shouldn't have to endure such hardships... _This is driving me crazy!_ He knew he really shouldn't worry about it **this** much... _Later, okay? Later this afternoon, I'll call him. Just to check up... about the project, of course._ Not that either of them would be fooled; they both knew that he didn't care at all about chemistry.

Yami spent the day staying invisible. His father hadn't come home until almost four in the morning via taxi, and had passed out in the kitchen. Needless to say, he was not in the best of moods when he awoke the next morning, but was too zombie-like to actually function. Door locked, Yami lounged in his room, listening to Coheed and Cambria and playing his DS. Later in the afternoon, as he was laying in a spot of sunlight on his bed and beginning to drift off, he heard the song "Feathers" start playing. _Hey,_ he thought happily. _I like this song... wait a minute, where's my phone?!_ He scrambled to find his cell phone, and flipped it open to answer it without even checking to see who was calling.

"M'hello?" He mumbled, still drowsy. He tried to suppress a yawn, but it slipped out anyway.

"Oh, um... hi, Yami." He tensed. It was Seto... he wasn't sure how to react.

"Hi..." He decided to let the other boy talk first. He had called Yami, after all.

"So... how are you today?" He sounded strained, as if the conversation were very hard for him.

"I-I'm okay, how are you?" How the hell was he supposed to talk to this guy?!?

"Good, good... So um... about that project... did you want to work on it?" Yami was hesitant, weighing his options. He knew that having Seto around the house today would be a bad idea, but he didn't want to leave Yugi there alone, either... if he was still even home, that is. For all Yami knew, he was already out and about with his friends. Yugi's social life was infinitely more eventful than Yami's nonexistent one.

"I... We can't do it at my house today," he said quickly. Not that that answered the question. "I guess we could kind of start it, as long as we're at your house..." There was silence for a few moments, and Yami wondered if the call had been cut off.

"Oh. Um... Yeah, I guess that will work... Did you want me to come get you? Or do you just want me to tell you where I live?" Yami thought quickly. As much as he didn't want to have to rely on this guy for rides and stuff, he knew that taking the car on a weekend with his dad in this kind of mood was just asking for trouble. On the other hand, so was showing his face anywhere around the man.

"Could-could you pick me up at the corner of my street?" Yami figured that if he waited far enough away from his house, his dad wouldn't bother to look for him.

"Sure. Half-hour sound good?" Seto sounded ridiculously nervous.

"Yeah. See you then..." Yami closed the phone with a loud click, and, despite insisting over and over that he totally _didn't _care what this guy thought of him, opened his closet to try to find something suitable. He didn't want to look like a slut, but on the other hand, he didn't want to look like he had just rolled out of bed (even though he had). After much deliberation, he decided on a normal pair of dark skinny jeans with a black zip-up sweatshirt over a deep purple tank top. His nails still had little bits of black nail polish that refused to chip off completely, but he didn't really care enough to do anything about it. Almost as an after thought, he slipped on a few of the black plastic bracelets that he wore. For whatever reason, if his wrists weren't covered, he didn't feel comfortable. He sighed as he looked in the mirror. He still looked like crap. The swelling had gone down, and some of the bruises had begun to fade, but his face was still sort of marked up, with spots of purple and blue along with the sickly yellow color of healing bruises. "Pleh," he told his reflection as he agonized over the marks. Well, he could always go back to that... digging through the bathroom drawers, he finally found a small bottle of foundation. Sure, it was makeup, and he wasn't too into much makeup (except a _very_ little eyeliner every now and then), but it had always done a decent job of making him presentable. After covering up his bruises and fussing with his hair (it still stuck up like crazy; it was hopeless), he snuck down the stairs, glancing around him nervously. He heard some sort of noise, like a grunt or a snort, and his heart about jumped out of his chest, but it was just his dad, passed out on the sofa with yet another beer in his hand. He quickly and quietly made his way out of the house; there was no sign of Yugi anywhere, so that was good. He slowed down only when he had reached the road. Although he reached his destination a good five minutes early, Seto was already waiting. He hadn't yet noticed Yami, and he would glance in the rearview mirror every few seconds to fuss with his hair. He smirked, his hopes rising. Maybe this kid _wasn't_ just fucking with him after all...

Seto jumped violently as someone knocked on his window. Jesus, he hadn't even seen Yami standing there!! He knew he was blushing as he unlocked the car. Great, just great. He hadn't seen Yami for two seconds, and he had _already_ managed to make a fool of himself. Ugh.

"Hi... thanks for picking me up..." Yami's voice was quiet and timid, and he refused to look Seto in the eye.

"Oh, uh, no problem. Not a problem at all..." He noticed that he had covered his bruises with some sort of makeup, and, as much as he tried not to, he couldn't help but notice how... nice... Yami looked. His jeans and sweatshirt both hugged his slim form tightly, emphasizing his petite figure, and the purple of his shirt accented his crimson eyes.

"Um... are we going to leave?" Yami looked at him oddly, and he realized that he had just been staring at Yami. He averted his eyes, his face burning in humiliation, as he drove toward his house.

"Sorry, I was just... um... I was just thinking..." Gah! He sounded so stupid! He really needed to snap out of it... This was totally not like him to let his emotions get the best of him... when he had calmed down a little, he chanced a quick peek at the boy next to him. He was staring out the window, a very, _very_ small smile on his face. It was good to see him smile, even if it was at Seto's expense.

When they arrived at the house, Seto awkwardly showed Yami into the house. Yami seemed ill at ease as he closely followed Seto to his room, stiffening when Seto turned to face him. Finally, an irritated Seto confronted him about it.

"Yami, quit flinching! I'm not going to do anything to you!" Yami glared at him

"I didn't say you were! I'm not flinching, either." His expression warned Seto not to press the issue.

"Oh... ok. Um, sorry." Seto's irritation immediately disappeared. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! Of course he's going to react badly when you talk like that, you moron!!!_

"So what is our project even on?" Yami asked tersely, abruptly changing the subject. Seto just stared at him, his mind racing.

"You know, to be honest, he didn't even tell us what it's supposed to be on..." His cheeks burned at Yami's confused expression. He turned away shamefully, unable to face the boy. "Look, I... I don't know. Okay? I just really-really wanted t-to see you, you know? Like, um, to make sure you were okay, after last night, and I'm sorry... if you want to go home, I understand... I... I shouldn't have done that, I'm really sorry! I-I-" He was near tears by this point, but his apologies were cut short by the surprising feel of soft lips against his...

Seto's expression was amazing. Yami had never seen anyone look so worried, surprised, confused, and downright terrified all at the same time in his entire life. He thought that for about two seconds, before he pushed Seto away in horror. What the _fuck_ had he done?!? God, what was he _thinking?_

"Sorry... I-I don't know... I'm sorry..." He could feel his eyes filling with tears.

"Yami, it's okay! I just- are you okay?" Idiot, of course he wasn't okay. He shook his head angrily.

"God, I really am... he's right..." he began trembling, fighting the sobs. He did _not_ want to cry right now.

"What? Yami, what are you talking about?" Poor Seto didn't have a clue.

"I'm a slut. I mean really? Look at me! I hardly know you, I was the one pushing you away, and then out of fucking nowhere I just _kiss you!?!_ What the _fuck!?!"_ he was getting hysterical by this point. "God, I'm just... ugh, I'm disgusting, I-" This time, he was the one whose words were cut off with a kiss. Seto glared at him.

"Yami, just shut up. Okay? You aren't disgusting. You aren't a slut. No, don't shake your head at me! I'm serious!" It was nice to hear, but it couldn't be true. "Yami, just stop, okay? Think about it for a minute, and try to explain this to me." He didn't say anything, allowing Seto to continue. "Yami, I was being stupid and you kissed me. What made you want to kiss me in the first place?" Seto looked pretty cute when he was blushing so much... he shook his head.

"I don't know... you were apologizing like crazy... that never happens to me. People never apologize for anything, and I... this was the first time that someone has really done that; usually, I feel like things are my fault..." God, he sounded retarded. The words sounded just plain _stupid,_ but they were true. "I... I thought that maybe you were telling the truth when you said that you wanted me to be happy, and you were so upset..." he realized that he had tears streaming down his cheeks. "Goddammit! I'm such a fucking mess!! Why am I crying if you're being nice to me?!?" his voice was rising in panic.

"Yami, shh. Calm down, please," Seto begged soothingly. "Yami, look at me. I meant every word about wanting to help you and wanting you to be happy. I was just... surprised... that you would do that. I don't want you to feel like I'm rushing you into anything. Okay?" A terrible thought occurred to Yami, and he turned to face Seto, horror apparent on his face.

"I'm sorry!!!" He wailed. "I'm so sorry... you were being really nice and not rushing me into anything, and then look what I did! I-I rushed you! I'm such a bad person!" Seto looked dumbfounded. He had never known anybody that was so quick to blame himself.

"Yami, no! Not what I meant at all! I'm not mad at you or anything ridiculous like that!" Yami's confusion was obvious.

"Then what..." Seto sighed.

"Yami, I didn't want to rush you because I know you aren't exactly emotionally stable right now... you're going through terrible things, and I don't want to put any pressure on you. That's all. Okay?" Yami looked at him timidly, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes.

"Then, then... you _don't_ think I'm a... a slut?"

"God no, Yami! Of course not!!!"

"Then... you still like me?" It was killing him to realize just how important it was to him that Seto liked him. He had _sworn_ not to put any hope in this, in case he just got hurt again, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to be loved.

"Yes, Yami," Seto told him gently, lightly stroking his damp cheek. "I like you. Quite a bit, actually." With those words, Yami smiled. And it wasn't his normal, fake, plastered on smile, either. There was no bitterness, no sadness, no hopelessness concealed behind it; it was a genuinely happy smile that made Seto incredibly happy. He would do anything to see that smile more often.

* * *

**A/N:** My mom is just like Seto's mom in this. It's really annoying sometimes, but in general, she's pretty cool. :)

**-**One time when I was in sixth or seventh grade, I tried to make eggs for breakfast and I set the pan on fire. Not one of my more successful meals... My mom wasn't awake yet, so I threw the pan outside in the snow until it cooled down. She figured it out, though, because the whole house smelled like burning food.

**-**Yugi is like my brother... he has so many friends, and I have like three...

**-**My ring tone is "Feathers" by Coheed and Cambria, and one day I was in the grocery store, and my phone started ringing. It was in my bag, so I didn't realize that it was my phone, and I got really excited, like "Hey! I love this song!" and then I figured out that my mom was trying to call... I felt really cool.

Review, please! I love you all!!! ^_^

thanks

~alex~


	11. Chapter Ten

(I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh)

* * *

*************Chapter 10 *************

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Seto noticed that Yami seemed preoccupied as they sat in his room. Almost a week had passed since they first kissed, and they had been getting to know each other better. He knew Yami's favorite color (purple), favorite animal (fox), favorite food (pasta), and favorite season (fall). He knew that he loved animals, and had a pet rat named Viktor (he hadn't met Viktor yet, but it was just a matter of time). He knew that he didn't like crowds or public speaking, and that he had lots of anxiety problems. He was able to figure out when something was bothering him, as well.

"What's up, Yami?" He asked kindly, stroking his hand. Yami shifted uncomfortably.

"Nothing really..." Seto gave him a skeptical look, and Yami sighed. "Ok... um... oh, this is embarrassing... I just- well..." He stopped mid-sentence, catching Seto off-guard in a shy kiss. He immediately broke away, his hands covering his reddening face.

"Um..." Seto couldn't form a coherent sentence, and he knew that his cheeks were flushed. "Was that what was bothering you?" He managed. Yami nodded, looking ashamed. Seto paused for a moment, but then gathered Yami into his arms. Yami tensed for a moment before relaxing into the hug. He mumbled something unintelligible. "What was that?"

"Do... do you really like me?" He asked in a small voice.

"Yami, we've been over this. Of course I like you, moron." Yami didn't look convinced.

"Why?" Seto wasn't expecting to be asked why he liked him...

"Um... because you're nice, and you're a good person, and... I don't know, I just like everything about you... except for the fact that you won't believe that I like you," he teased, earning a weak smile. "And you're cute..." he added as an afterthought.

"But... doesn't it bother you? That I have all this emotional baggage? I mean... I don't know. I worry that... you'll get sick of me..." Seto hugged him more tightly.

"**No.** That will not happen, okay?"

"But I kind of feel like I'm holding you back... if I weren't so fucked up, you could have a normal relationship with someone..." Seto shook his head.

"Yami, that makes no sense. If you're implying that you're causing me inconvenience because you don't want to have sex, that's ridiculous. It doesn't matter, okay? I don't want to do anything that you're not comfortable with..." Yami buried his face in Seto's sleeve.

"But it's still my fault!"

"Yami, it is **not **your fault. Hell, we've only been together for a week. Even if you **were** okay with it, we shouldn't be having sex after only a week." Yami looked mildly more cheerful.

"Then... you like me even if... yeah..." It took a moment for the meaning to sink in.

"What are you even saying?!" He couldn't help raising his voice. "You think that I'd be with you just for that!?!" Yami shifted uncomfortably.

"It... it's happened before, okay? I just don't want that to happen again."

"What?!" he wanted to hurt whoever had done this to Yami, " Yami, who-"

"I don't want to talk about it, okay? I was just letting you know..." he trailed off, his voice becoming almost a whisper.

When Yami arrived at his first hour class, he was shocked at the large basket of flowers adorning his desk. He was a bit late, so everyone was staring as he took his seat, awestruck that he had gotten flowers, and he heard a few whispers. Placing the flowers on the floor next to him, he stared straight forward, fighting the urge to turn around and glare the amused blue eyes he could feel watching him. After class at his locker, he groaned in frustration. The basket was too big to fit in his locker... which meant that he would have to carry it with him all day. Great. _Damn you, Seto._ Truthfully, though, he loved it. Although no one knew who they were from, everyone knew that _someone_ cared about him.

Unfortunately, a basket of flowers also attracts less-than-desirable attention as well...

"Hey, douchebag!" Yami stiffened, knowing the insult was aimed at him. "Whatcha got there, loser?" Shit. It was that fat blond guy, the one who had been picking on Mokuba that first day. "You got flowers? Aww, are they from your mommy? Haha! 'Couse, with a faggot like you, they'd be from your dad, huh?" Yami could feel his heart pounding furiously as he struggled to ignore the fat one and his group of followers as they laughed at him.

"Actually," a familiar voice said, "They're from me." Yami felt strong arms encircle him, and he gasped in surprise as a soft kiss was planted on the top of his head. The group had stopped laughing, and the blond one was looking at Yami and Seto with a mixture of awe and revulsion.

"That's sick, man. That just ain't right... Come on, guys. Let's get the fuck away from these faggots..." The other boys hurried after him, fleeing as if gay were contagious. Yami spun to face the other boy.

"Seto, what are you doing?" He asked, worry evident on his delicate countenance.

"Yami, I'm sorry, and I should have asked you sooner, but I don't think that we should be afraid to be ourselves around other people. They're not going to be happy about it, but that's too fucking bad for them. I hate seeing the way people degrade you as if you're some sort of inanimate object." Yami was speechless, so Seto took advantage of his silence and kissed him lightly. Neither of them had noticed the dead silence that had fallen around them in the hallway. "You don't deserve to be treated like shit for something that you have no control over; you're still human, and you still deserve the respect and kindness of others." Seto said this for Yami's benefit, but also for the benefit of anyone withing earshot. If people had treated Yami badly, he wanted them to know that he wouldn't stand for it. "Come on, let's go to class." Yami nodded, still at a loss for words, and contentedly clung to Seto's hand as the taller boy led him through the halls.

Yami couldn't sit still. Although it bothered him, a small part of him couldn't care less about all the strange looks he received throughout the day. He was taken aback by the number of gazes that held no enmity towards him, but were merely curious. Maybe not everyone hated him as much as he thought they did... His teachers, also, noticed both his upbeat demeanor as well as the flowers, sending him reassuring looks and nods. The teachers in the school were never a problem; Yami was a good student who studied hard and almost always got his work in on time. For the most part, they loved him. _Never in my life,_ he thought, as he sat through an endless hour of math, _have I __**ever **__been this excited to go to chemistry..._ The second the bell rang, he was out of his seat and out the door. Although he didn't want to appear too eager, he found it hard to hide the smile that kept creeping onto his face.

Upon rushing in the door, he found Seto waiting for him, having moved his stool to sit at Yami's normally empty table.

"Well, hello, sunshine," Seto greeted him playfully. Yami could feel himself blushing, but he didn't care.

"Hi," he said breathlessly. He knew he sounded stupid, but it was the best he could do. "Seto... thank you." Seto raised an eyebrow.

"What, for the flowers? It's the least I could do..." Yami shrugged.

"Well, yeah, for the flowers, but... for not being... embarrassed to be with me..." Seto laughed loudly, and for a few horrible seconds, Yami feared that he had been wrong...

"Yami, that's ridiculous! Of course I'm not embarrassed. Why would I be? There's nothing embarrassing about having the smartest, cutest, most awesome boyfriend in the world, is there?" God, Yami's face hurt... he'd never smiled this much in his life. Actually, before he had met Seto... the last time he laughed, truly and sincerely, had been when his rat Viktor had stolen his sock and refused to give it back, running around dragging it with him. Before that, he couldn't even remember when he had been happy...

"Wow... what's wrong with them?" Yami whispered to Seto, referring to two girls who sat in the middle of the room. They had never liked Yami, but now they were glaring with renewed fervor. _If looks could kill,_ he thought (fortunately for him, they could not).

"Oh, uh, yeah... they kind of wanted to work with me on the project, but... I told them I was working with you. I don't think they felt too kindly towards that, nor did they appreciate me calling them out on their total stupidity... I don't think they like the fact that we're fucking adorable together." Seto sounded rather pleased with himself, but Yami was concerned.

"Seto, you shouldn't have done that... I'm really sorry."

"Good god, Yami! **Now **what are you apologizing for?"

"Well... people won't like you if you stand up for me... it's my fault that you haven't made any other friends..." Seto shook his head, reaching for Yami's hand when he heard the desperate note in his voice.

"No, Yami. If they're going to be such close-minded bigots, then I don't want them as my friends anyway. So if anything, it's your fault that I'm not surrounded by assholes. I don't know about you, but to me, that doesn't seem like a bad thing." Yami felt that he was just trying to make him feel better, but nodded anyway.

"Whatever. Just try not to make enemies because of me..."

Seto rolled his eyes. Although generally endearing, Yami's blatant selflessness was infuriating at times. He was so concerned that Seto would be held back or miss out on things because of him, when in reality, Seto just wanted to be able to be with Yami. So what if half the class hated him? Yami didn't hate him; that was all that mattered. So what if everyone thought he was "a queer?" He was in a happier relationship than they were, and if there was anything wrong with that, he couldn't find it. So what if Yami was the least popular guy in the school? That just meant that Seto could have Yami all to himself. Any way he looked at the circumstances, they worked out in his favor. He was with the boy who he liked (loved? Maybe...) and they were happy with each other. That was enough.

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**A/N:** Hey, everyone. Hope you like it so far... I had to throw the rat business in there, because I have two rats, and I love them dearly. I just found a lump on Fannie, though... I hope it isn't cancer... :( His name is viktor because of this video. I love this video... .com/watch?v=pR7NDjC8DfY

So yeah. you should totally review, because it brings me great joy. thanks!

~alex~


	12. Chapter Eleven

(I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh)

Wow. Chapter 11 already... thank you all for reviewing! please, continue!!!

*************Chapter 11*************

* * *

Shit, he should have known this wouldn't last... he'd been _far_ too happy for the last few weeks. Things were _never_ that peaceful around the house...

"I'm leaving, you worthless asshole!" His mother had been rushing around for the last hour before his father had gotten home, stuffing her clothes and belongings into her suitcase as Yugi begged her not to leave, and Yami sat there in misery. Not that he cared that she was leaving... Unlike Yugi, she hadn't exactly been a loving mother to Yami, so he didn't feel too kindly towards her; he knew, however, that the repercussions of this would be... less than pleasant, for him especially. Sure enough, when their father had returned home, already pissed off about another day at work, all hell had broken loose. There had been lots of screaming and yelling, and Yami could hear glass breaking as some projectile missed its true target and crashed through the window.

"Yugi, I don't want you here tonight," he urged his brother in hushed tones. There was no way the two downstairs could hear him, but it never hurt to be careful. Yugi nodded tearfully.

"But... but what about you? Where are you going to be?" Yami cringed inwardly.

"I'll be fine, Yugi..." He knew full well that he would **not** be fine, but he also knew that if he were gone, his father's rage would only build and make things so much worse later on. He had been there before, and he was planning on **never** going there again. "Where are you going to be?" Yugi hesitated, and Yami thought he looked... embarrassed?

"I'll be at Ryou's... his parents are in the city." Yami nodded his approval. Yugi had known Ryou since they were in kindergarden. They were pretty good friends, and although Yami had never gotten along well with Ryou's brother, Bakura, he knew that Bakura was, for the most part, an okay person. Their parents often stayed in the city on business, but their children looked after themselves and the house fairly well (although, as was to be expected, there were parties and the like that the parents didn't know about). Bakura was fiercely protective of his younger brother, and since Yugi was one of Ryou's friends, Yami knew that he wouldn't let any harm befall him, either.

"Okay. Have fun, okay?" Yugi stared at him mournfully.

"Yami, please, you don't have to do this." Yami felt sick to his stomach, forcing out a thin-sounding laugh.

"Yugi, what are you even talking about? Dad will just get drunk and pass out like always. I'll be fine if I lock my door." God, he hated how naturally lying came to him...

"Dammit, Yami! I'm not retarded, okay? That's bullshit and you know it! Please, just go to Seto's or something! Please!" There were tears in his eyes, and Yami felt torn in two. He wanted to give in, to promise to go somewhere, _anywhere_ but home, but he couldn't. He didn't want his brother to worry, though, so he plastered on a fake smile, nodding his consent.

"Fine. I'll call Seto; maybe he can come get me. Okay?" Yugi's shoulders slumped. He knew that Yugi didn't believe him, but he also knew that he wouldn't pressure him any more. It would have been useless; when this kind of thing came up, Yami would just feign cooperation, insisting that he would do whatever it was that Yugi was asking.

"Yami... god, Yami. I'm so sorry... I love you, okay? Please, _please_ call Seto. Get _out _of the house. I don't want to turn on the news tomorrow and see that he's murdered you." Yami grimaced; if only Yugi knew how close it had been, once or twice... no, better that he didn't know.

"God, Yugi. Chill. He's not gonna kill me. How are you getting to Ryou's?" Again, Yugi paused.

"Bakura is going to pick me up..." as if on cue, his phone vibrated, and he checked the text. "Oh, he's here."

"Ok, whatever. That's good. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Yugi nodded, not looking too happy. "Have fun. I love you."

After making sure that Yugi was safely out the door, Yami paced in his room nervously. This was bad... Mom had been threatening to leave for so long, he didn't actually think she'd ever do it. Apparently, she'd found some guy, wealthier than Dad, who was less of a bastard. He couldn't blame her for wanting to get away from Dad, but she had made it clear that she had no intention of bringing her sons with her. What the fuck? Weren't parents supposed to look out for their kids? Fucking fantastic job she'd done... He knew there wasn't much he could do at this point. He was so close to being 18. Just a couple more weeks! She'd put up with his sorry ass for 18 years; couldn't she wait another two weeks? If she didn't want him, then his dad was in charge of his affairs... his dad had complete control. Of course, what else was new, right? He made damn sure that Yami knew how powerless he was...

Seto had just finished eating dinner with Mokuba when he felt his cell phone go off in his pocket. He was disappointed when he saw it wasn't Yami, but concerned when he saw who it was. Yugi never called him unless it was an absolute emergency.

"Hello? Yugi? What's the matter?" He snapped, sounding sharper than he had intended.

"Mom left." Those two words held so much... Seto knew how Yami's dad was. He knew that he loved control. He knew that if his wife had left... that would leave him in a dangerous mood.

"Shit! Where are you? Where is Yami?"

"I'm with B-Ryou. Yami won't go anywhere... he thinks that if he tries to stay away from Dad tonight, it will be worse for him tomorrow or whenever he sees him again. That might be, but... Seto, I'm worried. My dad is scary..."

"I'm going to get him." Without listening to Yugi's protests, Seto snapped the phone shut and rushed out the door, leaving Mokuba extremely confused.

"Dad, what- what are you doing?" Yami's forehead was bleeding as he backed away from the man who towered over him, reeking of alcohol; his mother hadn't been gone an hour, and his dad was already starting in on him... this wasn't good.

"This is all your fucking fault! You know that? She never wanted you! It's your goddamn fault she's gone!" Yami shook his head. No, that wasn't true. She hadn't left because of him. Probably.

"Dad, wait! I'm sorry, Dad! I- if I leave, maybe she'll come back," He babbled; anything to keep the man away from him and buy some time. His father spit on the floor.

"Bullshit. She hates me because of you! You stupid piece of shit! You ruin everything! You're so stupid and ugly... I don't blame her! How could anyone actually love a whore like you?" He'd heard it before, but it still hurt... "Fucking faggot... crying like a little girl." Yami hadn't even noticed the tears that had fallen. Of course, why was he even surprised? He was so pathetic... just like always. He was stupid to think that he could be happy... he was so... worthless. He didn't deserve to be happy. Seriously. He didn't deserve to _want_ to be happy.

"Dad, no! Please, please," He was sobbing, but he didn't care. "Dad, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry...no, no no..." he didn't even know what he was saying. He couldn't breathe. His chest was tight and panicky, and his vision was swimming as he hyperventilated.

"Shut the fuck up! No one will ever love you. Why the fuck are you even still alive?" Yami lost it completely. He hardly felt the rough hands that grabbed him violently, bruising as they gripped him tightly. It didn't matter anyway. He deserved this... he knew he did. He hated himself more than anything at that moment... He actually felt relieved as one large hand closed painfully around his throat. _Yes,_ he though. _Please, please just kill me. Get it over with... please..._ as soon as he felt the man's grip tighten, he was falling. _What?_ His brain couldn't comprehend what was happening... why had his dad let go of him? Why the **fuck** wasn't he dead? Why did he have to live through this shit? Wait, what was going on? Was that.... No. It couldn't be Seto... maybe he was dying. Or dreaming. Whatever; it didn't matter. But instead of fading away, his vision was getting sharper. He was regaining his senses, and for some reason Seto was_ still_ there. He was there, all right, and he was pissed.

"...-you **pathetic** excuse for a man! You're lucky I don't just kill you right now... trust me, If I weren't so concerned about Yami, I would do it in a heartbeat. He's your _**son!!! **_How the _**fuck **_could you do this to him!?!" Yami couldn't believe this was happening... No one had ever spoken to his father like that... and why was his father on the floor? What... this was too much to take in. He curled up, making himself as small as possible. This was the safest position... the less of him that was exposed, the less of him could get hurt.

"-and if I _**EVER-**_ and I mean _**EVER**_ hear that you've done_ anything_ to hurt one of your sons, I will find you and make you wish you'd never been born." The large man laughed stupidly. "You think I'm joking? Do you even know who I am? Seto **Kaiba?** Ring any bells?" After a moment, Yami's father gasped. "Yeah, that's right. **Kaiba. **As in K-A-I-B-A corporation. If you lay a finger on either of your sons ever again, I will _**personally**_ ensure that you're locked up where you will never see the light of day again. Do you fucking understand me?" He hissed into the man's face. Yami had seen Seto angry, but not anywhere even remotely near this.

Seto couldn't think of a time he had ever been more livid... His furious blue eyes softened as they made contact with Yami's terrified crimson ones. "Hey, love. Sorry I didn't get here sooner," He whispered, kneeling beside Yami and stroking his hair gently. "Come on. I won't let you stay here. Do you need anything? If you want, I can have someone come to get your clothes for you..." Yami just stared at him blankly. Seto felt a slight tinge of panic. What was wrong with Yami? He was totally unresponsive... "Yami?" The other boy flinched violently and began trembling. His thin frame was wracked with silent sobs, and he buried his face into Seto's chest. Seto's fury grew again. This was not _right, _dammit! But there was time for anger later... right now, he had to focus on Yami. In one fluid movement, he scooped the smaller boy into his arms, holding him protectively to his chest. The drunken man began yelling and cursing at Seto, who spat on him before striding out the door, taking Yami away from the hellhole he had been forced to call "home." _No more,_ _my_ _love_, he vowed. _I won't let him hurt you **ever **again._

_

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_**A/N: **I know, I haven't mentioned anything about Kaiba Corp. until now, but hey. It's a big business. How many high school seniors (especially in small towns) care about or think about big businesses? Not that many, so it makes sense that Yami hasn't given it a second thought.

Come on, review!! Please? I love you all.

~alex~


	13. Chapter Twelve

(I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh)

**Soundofmadness223**: See, I told you things would get better. Do you love me again? ;)

*************Chapter 12*************

* * *

After buckling an unconscious Yami into the passenger seat, Seto flipped open his cell phone, dialing his father's work number. His secretary answered.

"Kaiba Corp. can I help you?"

"Hey, it's Seto. I need to talk to my father." Although he was polite, she knew by his tone that something was very wrong.

"Right away, sir. Please hold for just a moment." Less than thirty seconds later, Seto's father came on the line.

"Seto? What is it? Shelly said you sounded upset." Seto was impressed with the woman; she never missed a thing.

"Dad, I have a... friend whose father is a... well, to put it _very _nicely, he's a complete bastard. I have Yami with me, and I'm taking him to the house. I was wondering if you could send someone to get his things, because there is no way in _hell_ he is going back to that house."

"Jesus, Seto. What did the guy do to him?" He was met with silence. "Oh. Shit. I don't want to know, do I? Alright. Go ahead and call Roland; tell him where to go. Will we need legal council?"

"I don't think so. I scared him pretty badly, and he's too drunk to do much anyway. Thank you so much, Dad." His dad was amazing.

"You're welcome. Just get him home. Is he staying with us, then?"

"If that's okay, I would prefer that."

"Alright. I guess I'll meet him tonight, then. See you later." As soon as that call had ended, Seto called Roland, who answered on the first ring.

"Hey, Roland. I need a favor." He gave him directions to the house and told him which rooms were Yugi's and Yami's. After instructing him to retrieve any belongings that looked to be of value, he gave him permission to use any force necessary with Yami's father. He couldn't help it; the thought pleased him.

Just as he was nearing the mansion, he received a call from Roland.

"What's the matter, Roland?"

"Um... Sir, I don't know what to do... There is a... a _rodent_ in the upstairs room. In a cage. What do you want me to do about it?" _Shit._ He'd forgotten about Viktor. He knew Yami would be upset if Viktor was left at the house, and Seto knew that his father wouldn't hesitate to take out his anger on the innocent creature.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Roland. If you wouldn't mind too much, could you please bring it with you? The cage and all?" He heard a small sigh on the other end, and he remembered Roland's irrational fear of anything that scurried. "_Pleeeease?"_ He tried to sound as pathetically sad as possible. Even though technically, he could just order the man to do it, he liked Roland, and preferred to stay on a friendly basis with him.

"Very well..." The man sounded miserable.

"Thank you so much, Roland. I really appreciate it. I promise to make it up to you."

Yami was extremely confused. He remembered his father's angry face, his mother leaving... and Seto. Seto had rescued him. As that realization sunk in, he remembered something else that had him completely puzzled. Seto had said something about Kaiba Corporation... Of course, Yami had heard about the oil tycoon's business, but the thought that Seto might be connected in any way to Kaiba Corp. hadn't even crossed his mind. After all, why would the owners of a multi-billion dollar company move to _Domino,_ of all places? And come to think of it, what had happened after Seto had showed up? And _where the hell _was_ he?!?_ He struggled to sit up as he opened his eyes, groaning as the piercing sunlight assaulted him.

"**YAMI!!! You're alive!!!"** He was flattened by someone launching themselves at him.

"Wha-huh?" He mumbled stupidly.

"Mokuba, get off of him **this instant!**" Seto's irked voice was the most beautiful sound Seto had ever heard. He struggled to extricate himself from the younger boy's grasp.

"Ooooh, are you _jealous,_ Seto?" He taunted his older brother.

"What- Where am I? What's going on?" Yami felt slightly panicked, and he still couldn't see Seto from where he was.

"Mokuba, _**move,**_ dammit!" The younger boy reluctantly released his death grip on Yami, allowing his brother to take his place.

"Fine. You're no fun, you know that?" He stuck his tongue out at the couple, fleeing in mock terror from the look that Seto shot him. Yami turned to Seto.

"Seto, what-" A look of concern crossed his face. "Yugi! What about Yugi? Where is he; is he okay?!" Seto stroked his hair comfortingly, shushing him.

"Hey, calm down, Yami. Yugi's perfectly fine. He called me and told me what had happened. He's at some friend's house. Bakura? I dunno." Yami nodded, remembering that Yugi had said he would be at Ryou's, now that Seto mentioned it.

"Yeah... that's good. Oh, god," he moaned, covering his face with his hands. "I'm so fucked... Dad is gonna kill me..."

"No, he isn't. He's never going to touch you or Yugi ever again. I promise." The words sounded nice, but Yami shook his head sadly.

"Seto, there's not anything you can do. You can't help me; you can't save me. My mom doesn't give a shit about either of us, especially me, and he has custody. He... he's got control of us until we're eighteen..." He felt his head spin as he worked himself further into a panic.

"Yami, please just breathe, okay? Listen to me, love. Listen..." He lightly kissed Yami, shutting him up for a few seconds, until he calmed down slightly. "Yami, listen to me. He has no control over you. Technically, your mom still has custody over you. I talked to her... she was more than happy to allow you and Yugi to stay here or whatever for a few more weeks until you turn eighteen. The day you turn eighteen, you _will _get custody of Yugi." Yami shook his head.

"Seto, you can't know that. No one else knows how... different... Dad can be when he isn't around other people. He can pull off the 'loving father' act well enough to get by."

"Yami, you underestimate me. My dad... my dad is the owner of Kaiba Corporation. If we need to pull a few strings here and there, then so be it. Your dad wouldn't even dare try anything. If he did try to get you or Yugi back, our legal team would just 'happen' upon some very, _very _incriminating evidence. So don't worry, okay? You two will never have to worry about him again." Yami was speechless. This was... not possible. He rarely ever happened upon any good fortune, and he already had Seto. There was no way this would work. But if it did... he thought about what that meant. He had a hard time envisioning being able to just relax, completely and totally, without having to watch his back. He wouldn't have to walk on eggshells every time his father had a bad day, for fear of catching his attention. He wouldn't have to fear for Yugi all the time, wouldn't have to fear for _himself._ He turned to face the blue eyes that had been studying him kindly, and he was unable to stop his tears.

"Seto, I-I-" He couldn't even finish the sentence. God, he was pathetic. "T-thank you, thank you s-so much..." he couldn't stop sobbing. Seto's strong arms tightened around him, holding him close and rubbing his back.

"It's okay, love. It's okay...I wish I could have helped you sooner..." Once he was able to breathe more normally again, he furtively glanced at Seto, who was still gazing at him. He tried to speak, but was unable to, so he pulled Seto closer to him. When Seto's face was practically touching his, he leaned closer so that he could whisper in his ear.

"Seto? Seto, I..." He swallowed, gathering his courage. "I-I love you..."

Yami's voice was so quiet that Seto wasn't sure he had heard him correctly. He must have misheard him... he thought he'd said...

"I'm sorry to put this all on you, but I... I can't help it. I'm sorry... I know you probably don't really feel the same... I know, I _**know **_how... disgusting and... and- just- just... _dirty_ I am! God, I'm disgusting... But I-I love you..." The smaller boy was sobbing, his entire body trembling violently. "God, I love you... I feel so stupid. I don't- I sh-shouldn't love you. I d-don't fucking deserve someone like you....You're the first person who-who was ever nice to me... no one has **ever** actually tried to h-help me... and no one else knew about-about-about-" His voice gave out. Seto couldn't believe he was hearing this.

"Yami, that's ridiculous!" Yami turned injured eyes to Seto.

"W-what!?! I-I-I'm s-serious! I d-do... I do l-love you..." What? No! _**NOT**_ what he had meant _at all_!!!

"Yami, I- I love you too! I mean, it's ridiculous that I _wouldn't_ want you! You are _**not**_ dirty and you are _**NOT**_ disgusting! You're... wonderful. Of course you deserve to be happy. Hell, you deserve someone _better_ than me. Yami... please, try to see this... You're an amazing person. I would like nothing better than to stay with you..." Yami kept shaking his head, for some reason.

"No, no, NO! You don't mean that!!! You don't love me! Please, don't... just don't say that you do, because I'm not that stupid! I know that you couldn't love me..." He was hysterical by this point, and Seto was beginning to panic. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to make Yami just **listen **to him? Frantically, he desperately held on to the boy who had his heart.

"Yami!" He shouted urgently. "Yami, calm down, breathe! Yami, baby... please, please... dear god, please just listen to me..." He was at his wit's end. Without thinking, he pulled Yami in even closer, covering his lips in a passionate saw Yami's eyes widen in shock, and after a few moments, he stopped struggling. Tears still ran silently down his flushed cheeks, his eyes squeezed shut, but now he was pulling Seto closer to him instead of fighting to push him away. When Seto finally broke the kiss off, Yami stared desperately at him.

"S-Seto..." His voice was no more than a whisper. "Seto, I'm sorry... I-I... I didn't mean it... I'm sorry. Please, don't leave me..." His knuckles were white from gripping Seto's shirt, and his general demeanor was... heart-wrenching at best. His expression, his posture... he was so broken.

"God, Yami. Of course not! Stay with me always?" This time, it was Yami who moved in to kiss Seto. He pulled him back onto the bed so that he could lay beside him and share his pillows with him. He was exhausted... He clutched at Seto's chest, and Seto held him protectively, shielding him from the world. It was like that, holding each other and taking comfort in each other's presence, that Yami finally slept peacefully, safe from nightmares, for the first time in years.

* * *

**A/N:** Hi, everybody. I don't know how long this is going to be, but I'm not planning on ending it yet... They still have some things to work out... plus, Seto's mom has to meet Yami still!!! heh heh heh...

Yeah. So please, review! I would love you forever if you would please review? not that I don't already love you all immensely...

~alex~


	14. Chapter Thirteen

(I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh)

*************Chapter 13*************

* * *

Hours later, Yami was feeling much more rested. He stretched and yawned, still finding it hard to believe that he was actually free from his father. He smiled sleepily at the thought.

"What's so funny?" He started slightly, not having heard Seto approach. He smiled even more widely at the sight of his love leaning against the doorframe.

"I'm just thinking..." he yawned again, "about how great this is." Seto raised one eyebrow.

"'This' being what, exactly?"

"The fact that I am actually... safe." He blushed. "And loved..." He self-consciously lowered his eyes as Seto laughed happily.

"Yes. That you are," he agreed. "That you are. So," He brusquely changed the subject. "You ready for dinner?" Yami seemed surprised.

"Dinner? What time is it?"

"Almost seven... why, what time did you think it was?"

"Uh... like, four? Five, maybe? I don't know..." Seto laughed.

"Come on, let's go. Oh, yeah, um... my mom is a little strange, so... just try to ignore her, okay?" Yami cocked his head.

"Huh? What do you mean strange?" Seto just rolled his eyes.

"She's not the most mature person... she means well, though. You'll see what I mean in a minute."

As they entered the kitchen, where the rest of the Kaiba family was congregated, Seto noticed his mother's expression turn from one of mild boredom to absolute delight. He shot her a warning look, praying that she wouldn't be too overbearing. She batted her eyelashes at him innocently.

"Hi, guys," His dad's kind voice made Yami flinch ever-so-slightly, but he smiled nervously at the big man.

"Hey, Mom, Dad, this is Yami. Yami, these are my parents." His father, having noticed Yami's discomfort, slowly offered his hand, being sure to not startle him. Yami cautiously shook his hand, muttering how he was pleased to meet him. Seto's mother, on the other hand, took the less-than-subtle approach, and practically tackled him in a huge hug. Seto was about to throw her off of Yami, as the boy's body stiffened and a panicked look flashed onto his face, but he recovered a moment later, and actually hugged her back.

"Gah! You're adorable!" She squealed. Yami raised an eyebrow at Seto from over the woman's shoulder. Seto mouthed "I told you so" and stuck out his tongue.

"Jesus, Mom. Let him breathe," Mokuba teased, poking at her back. She held Yami at an arm's length for a few moments, studying his face intensely. Yami squirmed uncomfortably.

"Um... I'm happy to meet you both..." His voice was barely a whisper as he lowered his eyes to the floor. He wasn't sure what to make of their behavior; with his parents, the less attention they paid to him, the better. Suddenly, her face broke into another wide grin, and she leaned forward to gently kiss his forehead. His eyes widened slightly as she hugged him again, more gently this time, and whispered to him.

"Don't worry, dear. We'll take care of you." He fought tears at the sincerity behind the words; he hadn't expected to be welcomed in like this by Seto's parents.

"T-thank you," he managed to whisper back. She kissed his forehead again before turning away, excitedly ordering everyone to sit down for dinner.

Although Yami remained mostly silent during dinner, it was not an uncomfortable silence. He felt welcome, but not obliged to join in the conversation. Every now and then, Seto would reach over and give his hand a gentle squeeze, or brush his leg against Yami's. One of these times, Seto's mother noticed the contact, and, blushing bright red, burst into high-pitched giggles, which were apparently contagious, as Mokuba soon joined. Seto's father face-palmed, sighing heavily, and Seto kicked her under the table. She feigned hurt, pouting, until Seto called her a "shameless fangirl" and told her to "pull herself together."

"God, Seto. Where did I go wrong? You're no fun..." She winked at Yami. "I don't know how Yami puts up with you..." noticing that Yami had finished eating, Seto decided that the time had come to leave the table.

"Alright! Well, Yami, if you're finished, I'll show you the rest of the house." Yami nodded, standing to join Seto.

"Thank you very much for dinner... I appreciate your hospitality so much..." He couldn't meet either parent's eyes as he expressed his heartfelt thanks. He felt bad, imposing on them, but he had to admit that he had no other choice, really. Ignoring his mother's and Mokuba's shared glee at the act, Seto took Yami's hand gently in his own and led him from the room.

"Sorry about them..." Seto apologized when they were back in the bedroom. Yami shook his head.

"No, they're fine! I like your parents. They're so much nicer than mine..." although he felt bad admitting it, he envied Seto and Mokuba. "They don't mind, though? About... you know, about us?" Seto shook his head.

"No. They're pretty open-minded about things like that. Besides, did you see my mom? I'm telling you, she's a freaking fangirl. Not even kidding. It's weird." Yami laughed at the mournful look in Seto's eyes.

"Oh, come on. She's not that bad. You haven't spent time around my parents..." his expression darkened, and Seto placed his arm around Yami.

"It's okay, though, because we don't have to spend _any_ time around them if we don't want to." The thought made Yami smile widely.

"So... your parents don't mind that Yugi and I are staying? Why are they doing this for us?"

"Yami, they want to help you. I've told you a million times, you don't deserve all the shit that man put you through, and if they can help you to be happy, of course they'll help. It's not like it's a problem for them, either. We have plenty of room, and we are more than able to feed you. Don't worry about it," he ordered. Noticing when Yami opened his mouth to protest, he cut him off. "And don't even **think** about apologizing." He laughed as Yami glared at him, and then pulled him in for a kiss. "Aww, don't be mad at me. Besides, look who's here to see you!" he gestured to the corner of the room.

"Hey!" Yami exclaimed, overjoyed upon noticing the large cage. "Viktor!" The large, brown rat was sticking his nose between the bars, his whiskers and ears twitching excitedly at the sound of his master's voice. Yami excitedly opened the cage. Viktor immediately climbed up his arm to perch on his shoulder, where he affectionately sniffed and licked at Yami's ear. Yami laughed at the sensation of the whiskers tickling his neck, and turned to Seto. "When did you get him out? I was so worried..." Seto was looking at the rodent with mixed emotions. Sure, it was kinda cute, but... it was a rat. A _rat._

"Uh... one of my dad's employees got him after we left... he got some of your clothes, too." Yami suddenly picked his pet up around the waist, holding the squirming creature towards Seto. Viktor clearly did not appreciate being held like this, and Seto wasn't entirely sure if he appreciated Viktor.

"Hold him?" Yami asked. "Aww, _please?"_ he begged, when Seto shook his head. "For me, Seto?" Well, that was totally unfair. How could he resist when he asked like that?

"Um. Well, fine. Will it... bite me?" He tried not to show how nervous that thing actually made him, but he knew that Yami wasn't fooled.

"No, he won't bite you. He doesn't bite. Ever. Unless you're wearing socks; then he'll nibble on your toes. I don't know why he does that, but I think he has a foot fetish." Seto shook his head at the sheer strangeness of the situation. He'd never seen Yami this excited and this talkative and open. Tentatively, he held out his cupped hands. He flinched when Viktor was placed on his palms and immediately tried to run up his arm.

"Gah! Yami! Ugh! Help! I don't want to drop him! What if I hurt him?!" He started to panic as the energetic creature explored his arm and shoulder, giving him goosebumps as its sharp claws grazed his skin. Yami could barely contain his laughter. Seto fixed him with a scathing glare, the effect of which was slightly diminished by the jittery movements he made every few seconds when the rat would scurry across his shoulders or the back of his neck, making snuffling noises in his ear. "Ah!! What the hell is it doing!?" He screeched, not even caring that he sounded like a 10-year-old girl as Viktor tried to clean out his left nostril. By this point, Yami was doubled up, he was laughing so hard. "Take him! I don't want to hurt him!" Seto commanded, his voice rising in panic.

"J-just g-g-grab him!" Yami gasped. "Trust m-me, y-you won't h-hurt him!" Seto still didn't know what to do; the rat's body looked fragile, and he didn't want to crush his small bones.

"Yami, I'm serious!!!" Finally, Yami reached out and roughly grabbed the small terror.

"Come on, Viktor. Leave poor, poor Seto alone," Yami chastised Viktor, teasing Seto at the same time. "He can't handle you, apparently." He kissed the back of the rat's head, causing him to squirm around in irritation until he had turned around completely. Unable to escape from his master's grip, he turned to his only defense, and covered Yami's fingers and invading lips with rat kisses, his tiny tongue working frantically as he struggled like a small child trying to escape from an overbearing aunt. Seto watched incredulously at the two; Yami's carefree, open love towards his pet, and the small creature's obvious affection towards the boy. _Huh,_ he mused. _A rat. Who would have thought that a rat would be so... personable?_ He had always thought of rats as being sort of dirty, mean, and disgusting; that's how they were always portrayed, anyway. _It's not really fair, though,_ he realized. _People just don't like them, because of the bad reputation they get from some stupid stories and rumors._ He felt inexplicably guilty. Maybe that was why Yami felt such attachment towards this odd pet of his. He knew how it felt, being ostracized for reasons beyond his control; he knew how it felt to be looked at as if he were dirty, vermin, even, regardless of the fact that he had committed no crime. He knew how it felt to be hated just because of who and what he was.

* * *

A/N: hey, everyone. What's up? I hope you liked this chapter. Sorry for any errors; it hasn't really been proofread very well, but I wanted to get it posted. I'm working on a sort of lemony bit for the next chapter... it's hard to write!

Fannie (my rat) got surgery! She had a tumor, but we got it removed, and now she is okay. She's healing up really well, and she gained back all of the weight she lost, and then some.

Review, please! Thank you! I love you all!

~alex~


	15. Chapter Fourteen

A/N: thanks for reading!

(I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh)

*************Chapter 14*************

* * *

"So, ah, how did you know that I needed help?" Yami asked shyly as Viktor ran around the room, trying to wedge his body under the closed door (to no avail-he was well-fed).

"Oh. Yugi called; you should probably call him back. He was... frantic."

"He called you?" Yami was surprised that Yugi even had his number. "Is he still with Ryou?" Seto nodded.

"Yeah, I think so. Grab the rat," he told him; every time Seto put his feet on the floor, Viktor stood on his hind legs, trying to climb up Seto's leg. He liked the rat well enough, but it was a little unsettling to have him crawling up your body like a cat would scale a tree. "I'm just gonna go help my mom clean up. I'll leave you to talk to your brother." Yami nodded, appreciating the privacy.

Yugi didn't answer his phone, though. Frowning, he tried Ryou, who answered tentatively on the fourth ring.

"Hey, Ryou. It's Yami. Is my brother there? He's not answering his phone." Ryou didn't say anything for a moment.

"Um, yeah. Can I have him call you back? He's in the bathroom..."

"Okay. Thanks." A few minutes later, Yami's phone rang, although the number on the display was unfamiliar. "Hello?"

"Yami! Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm at Seto's. I'm okay. We'll be staying here for a while. Do you have your stuff with you? I don't think it would be a good idea to go home anytime soon..."

"Oh. Yeah. I got my stuff here... I'm staying here tonight, though, okay?"

"Ok. Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"My phone? It's...dead." Something didn't seem right.

"So can I talk to Ryou again?" He was met with silence.

"Uh, he went out for a bit..."

"Hm. That's odd, because I talked to him a minute ago, and he said you were in the bathroom... Where are you?"

"Hey. I'm at Ryou's house, and he went out for a bit, okay? That's true." There was more to this...Yugi's defensive tone was giving him away.

"But?" He prompted him to continue. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Um.... um..... Bakura-and-I-are-together-I-gotta-go-love-you-bye!" He said all in a rush, hanging up and leaving Yami staring at the phone. Had he really just said that? Bakura? _Bakura?!_

"Hey, you okay?" Seto had walked into the room and noticed Yami's shocked expression.

"Apparently my brother is dating Bakura." Seto raised one eyebrow.

"Bakura, as in the Bakura in our health class, who only shows up about forty percent of the time?"

"If that," Yami muttered.

"So you don't approve, I take it?" Yami shrugged.

"I dunno... I mean, I can't really do anything about it, can I? I don't trust him, though. He's never been very nice to me. He threw rocks at me in second grade." Seto laughed.

"Way to hold a grudge, Yami," he teased, shoving Yami playfully.

"No, but you kind of know how Bakura is... he doesn't have the best reputation. 'Course, then again, neither do I..." Seto put his arm around Yami.

"Hey. Don't worry about it, okay? I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a smart kid." Yami sighed, not entirely convinced. "I mean it," Seto insisted, pulling him closer for a kiss.

"Wait. So.... Yugi's there, and Ryou 'went out' for a bit. What does that even mean? Do I even **want** to know what that implies?" Seto shook his head.

"Nope. You probably don't." Yugi looked mildly horrified, but Seto laughed again.

"Oh, it's okay. Just don't think about it. Besides, I love-UGH!" Viktor decided to ruin the moment by crawling up the back of Seto's shirt, causing him to bolt upright and leap off of the bed. "Get it off of me!" Yami quickly jumped to his boyfriend's aid, attempting to coax the small creature out of his new hiding place. Viktor was determined, though, and every time Yami would grab him, he would wriggle out of his grasp, burrowing deeper and deeper into Seto's shirt.

"Just take off your shirt." Seto quickly complied, and Yami was finally able to force Viktor back into his cage. Of course, right then, when Seto had his shirt off and Yami was holding said shirt was when Seto's mother chose to open the door.

"Oh!" she squeaked, her eyes going wide in surprise before her face betrayed her excitement. "I'll just leave you two to... whatever you were doing..." Seto rolled his eyes as Yami dropped the shirt as if it had burned him.

"What, catching the rat? Yeah. Thanks." She winked at Yami.

"Uh huh, good one, Seto. Really good excuse." She laughed at her son's angry expression and Yami's bewildered one, then left, closing the door behind her. They could hear Mokuba laughing in the hallway, and Seto shook his head.

"They never grow up." Yami timidly sidled up beside him.

"It's okay, really. At least your family likes each other, you know? I mean, you get mad at your mom sometimes, and sometimes you guys fight, but it isn't really serious, right? I mean, you still love each other. No one really gets hurt, and no one hates each other..." He trailed off, realizing that he had been crying. Seto noticed as well, and hugged Yami close to his body. "I just wish... that Yugi and I had a real family. It seems so nice..."

"It is nice," Seto admitted. "But as long as you want, this is your family." Yami shook his head.

"No, no. We couldn't intrude like that..."

"Are you kidding? You saw my mom. She's thrilled. Mokuba loves you guys, and my dad wants to help in any way possible." Yami still didn't look convinced. Seto held him at arm's length, forcing him to meet his eyes. "Look. It isn't intruding if you are forced into it. Judging by how much my mom already likes you, you have no choice. Okay? This is your family, Yami. Those people who you lived with are _not_ and never _were_ your family, because no one who treats their children like that deserve the title of 'parent.'" A hint of a smile had crept onto Yami's face.

"I like your mom... My mom doesn't like me, because I was the reason she and my dad got married in the first place, so she always told me what a mistake I was. Your mom seems to think that I matter. I... I like that." He was blushing fiercely now, unable to look at Seto.

"She's annoying and immature, but she's not stupid. She doesn't just _think_ that you matter, that you're important, she damn well knows that you are! And so do I." Hearing those words over and over, and the honesty in Seto's voice when he told Yami that he mattered made Yami feel, just for a second, that he could maybe actually feel good about himself.

"You really think I'm important?"

"God yes, Yami. I've never-" this time Seto blushed. "I've never actually... liked... as in _liked_ anyone else. You know why? Because no one I met before you could even come close to measuring up to you. You truly are special, and I love you." Watching Yami's expressions, he had an idea. "Hey. Let's go get my parents and Mokuba to play a board game with us. We can be on a team. Which ones do you like?" Yami shrugged.

"I dunno. Games are more Yugi's thing. For board games, you usually need lots of people. Yugi has friends; I don't-didn't. So I haven't really played many board games."

"Hm. Well, then, we'll just have to try them all out then. Hey, Mom!" He yelled, pulling his shirt back on. "We're going to have that 'family night' you've been bugging us all about. Okay? And **no obnoxious giggling allowed!**" Yami smiled when he heard her disappointed shout back, about how she couldn't help but be obnoxious, and how it was his own damn fault for having such a cute boyfriend. _Somehow, I think I'll like it here..._

_

* * *

_

**A/N: **Okay, so I started a companion story that focuses on Yugi and Bakura, so maybe you wanna check that out.

Seto's mom, again, is kind of like my mom, except mine is a little more toned down. I'm working on a lemon, so be patient. My other story has lemons. *blush*

I am kinda brain-dead right now, so I can't think of anything else to say...... other than thank you for reading, and I would appreciate reviews. I love you all!

~alex~


	16. Chapter Fifteen

(I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh)

A/N: Merry (somewhat belated) Christmas! This chapter has... citrus-flavored parts. dunno what it would be considered, but... yeah. just warning you.

* * *

*************Chapter 15*************

* * *

After Yugi and Yami had settled in, things sort of fell into a routine. Yami couldn't remember a time in his life when he had ever felt so carefree. Sure, he still had school, which was stressful, but he no longer felt the need to constantly be on edge, watching his every step. He had become more open with those around him, and everyone, teachers and classmates included, had noticed the drastic change in his demeanor. Although Yugi and Mokuba hung out a lot, Yami was glad to see that he still spent a good deal of time with his other friends, often bringing Mokuba with him and introducing him to new friends. Seto's parents, although they tried to be home, spent long days at the office, occasionally leaving for the weekends to attend business meetings and conferences.

One Friday night, when Mokuba and Yugi were both at Ryou's (although God only knows what Bakura and Yugi were doing), Seto's mother informed them that she and Seto's father would be away for the weekend.

"Okay, you guys. We'll see you on Monday, okay?" She winked at Yami, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Alright, you two. _Behave_, now. **Okay**?" Yami could feel his cheeks burning, as Seto practically pushed her out the door.

"God, Mom! Get the hell out of here!"

"Haha, I love you too, dear!" She pecked them both on the cheek before she practically sprinted out to the car, where her husband was waiting for her.

"I can't believe her, sometimes," Seto grumbled darkly as they watched the two leave.

"Well... She means well," Yami said awkwardly. He wasn't really sure what to say after that...

"So what do you wanna do?" Seto asked, sounding bored. Yami jumped a little, before realizing that the statement had been intended to be completely innocent. _God, Yami._ He chastised himself. _Get your damn mind out of the gutter!_ Although to be fair, she had started it. Yeah, that was it. It was her fault. "Helloooo, Earth to Yami!" Seto's hand waving in front of his face snapped him back to the moment.

"Huh-what? Sorry..." Yami stuttered, and Seto gave him an odd look.

"Whatcha thinking about, love?" Yami shook his head, perhaps a little too quickly.

"N-nothing. I dunno. What do you want to do?" _Uh-oh. _Seto raised an eyebrow at him.

"Hmmm? What _were_ you thinking?" Yami turned to hide his blush.

"Let's get something to eat. I'm hungry," He lied, walking quickly towards the kitchen. He never made it there.

Strong arms encircled his waist, holding him back. He sucked in his breath as he felt Seto's lips come in contact with the back of his neck.

"W-what? Seto, what...?" He was finding it harder and harder to form coherent sentences as Seto pulled him closer against his body.

"You aren't hungry, Yami," He whispered.

"How would you know?" Yami snapped back, not sure how to handle this situation.

"Because, love, we just ate dinner." Oh, yeah. Dinner. He had forgotten about dinner... He pulled out of Seto's grasp, muttering something about needing a drink of water. Suddenly, he felt himself pushed against the wall as Seto's lips found his.

"Seto..." he whispered, unsure of what he wanted to say. Sighing in resignation, he gave in to the other boy, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. Seto paused for just a moment before leaning forward to whisper in Yami's ear.

"Yami... I love you. So much. You know that?" the words struck at Yami's core. Sure, he'd heard them a hundred times, but they still never failed to thrill him... This time, Yami kissed Seto, his actions becoming almost manic as he desperately clung to the one he loved. Seto let out the smallest of moans that both excited Yami and frightened him at the same time. He tugged shyly at the hem of Seto's shirt, earning him a surprised gasp that sent goosebumps across his skin. "Y-Yami..." he swallowed nervously.

"Eh... did you want... I mean... hm?" Seto apparently could read minds, and within moments, Yami found himself being almost dragged to the bedroom. His heart was pounding, anxiety settling in the pit of his stomach.

"Yami... are you okay?" He glanced up into concerned blue eyes. His heartbeat sped up as he fought to formulate an answer.

"I-I-" He gave up, capturing Seto in another deep kiss that spoke for him. "Seto, I- I love you..." His hands strayed lower, almost on their own. Seto's gasped again, a note of panic evident in his voice.

"Yami, no-" He hurried to clarify, noticing Yami's hurt look. "No, Yami, you- You don't have to do anything, I-" Yami interrupted him.

"Do you- do you not want me?" his voice cracked towards the end of the sentence, and Seto kissed him reassuringly.

"Yami, don't **ever** think that," he told him forcefully. That was all the reassurance Yami needed, as he launched himself into another passionate kiss. Seto was so caught up in the kiss that he didn't notice exactly what Yami was doing until he felt a hand slip beneath the waistband of his boxers. "Ngh-!" he jerked in shock.

"Shh... please," Yami shushed him, cutting off any protests by placing his other hand over Seto's mouth. His eyes pleaded with Seto. "I... I want to do this, Seto..." He sounded so heart-broken, that Seto was unable to protest. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had the sneaking suspicion that that had been what Yami was aiming for. He tried to get his thoughts in order, but Yami was- well, he wasn't even sure _what_ Yami was doing to him, but he knew that it prevented him from being able to function in any sort of rational way whatsoever. He moaned softly as Yami continued to explore what he could do to Seto, caressing the contours of his mouth with the tip of his tongue.

"Yami..." He wasn't even sure if he'd spoken aloud as he clutched at his lover's chest. He felt totally helpless, at the other's mercy. As much as a part of him screamed that this was wrong, he wanted more so badly... "ohh..." He felt the corners of Yami's lips tug upward, moving to kiss his chest. Both of them were missing their shirts, and Seto was wearing only his boxers. Wait. What? When the hell had that happened?! He couldn't figure out what was happening... He gasped sharply, jerking violently when Yami began gently biting at his hip, realizing what the boy intended to do. "Yami, what- what are you doing!?" Yami looked up at him, wide-eyed. God, he was gorgeous... A small whine escaped from Yami's lips.

"Seto, just shut up, already," Yami whispered, biting down lightly on the soft part of his hip. Seto groaned, surrendering completely, flopping back onto the bed. A few moments later... his world had fallen to pieces. Having slipped Seto's last article of clothing down to where it wouldn't impede his progress, Yami took Seto's length into his mouth. He braced himself for the discomfort, the disgusting feeling, but it never came. He realized just how different this was from anything he had ever experienced... this encounter was one of love, not of hatred, not of violence or hurt. Seto whimpered above him in bliss at the sensations that Yami was causing, and he felt a rush at the knowledge. He wanted Seto to make more of those noises; he wanted nothing more than to please him. He experimentally began to bob his head up and down, relishing the sounds of ecstasy coming from his lover.

Seto was lost to the world. He was concerned about Yami, and he wanted to ask if he was okay, but... words just weren't working right now. All he could do was moan pathetically, biting his lip. When Yami sped up, it was all he could do to keep from sobbing in pleasure. Although he fought it, he couldn't stop himself from thrusting slightly upwards with every movement of Yami's. As he came closer and closer to the edge, he found his hands tangled in Yami's soft hair, unconsciously applying slight pressure.

Strangely, this thrilled Yami. It didn't feel anything like the cruelty with which he had been treated previously; this was sensual and loving, rather than controlling. Seto wasn't _forcing_ him to do anything, merely... guiding him, showing him what he needed. He doubled his efforts as he sensed Seto's movements becoming more frantic, and suddenly, without warning, Seto thrust upwards more forcefully, letting out one last, almost painful-sounding moan as he came. Yami fought to not choke as his lover released soft cries and struggled weakly beneath him, his breathing irregular. Finally, he lay still. When he was sure he was finished, Yami looked up at him. He lay back, still panting slightly, his eyes closed and one hand draped across his forehead. He moaned as he opened his eyes, and his already flushed cheeks burned more brightly as his gaze found Yami.

"Y-Yami... I- I'm sorry... are you okay? God, I'm sorry, I don't know..." Yami smiled, nestling into Seto's chest to reassure him.

"Stop apologizing," He demanded. "I'm fine. I'm serious!" he protested at Seto's incredulous look. "I'm not _that_ fragile," he muttered when Seto still didn't look convinced. "I love you."

"Yeah, but... I didn't mean to... you know..." Yami closed his eyes as he kissed Seto's cheek.

"It's okay, I swear. I don't mind..." he promised. "Are **you **okay?" he laughed softly at Seto's fervent nods.

When they had lain there for a few moments, Yami felt Seto shift beneath him, and realized what he meant to do.

"Seto, don't... don't worry about it," Yami wasn't sure how he felt about _this_ turn of events. He didn't feel like Seto should be touching him. He feared (irrationally, he knew) that Seto would find him disgusting and dirty. Much as Yami had done to him earlier, Seto silenced his protests with firm kisses, taking control of his lips as he stroked Yami. This was the first time that Yami had been touched by someone who didn't mean him harm, who wasn't just using him as an outlet for pent-up anger and frustrations. The difference in the touch was astounding. Seto's touches, rather than embarrassing and humiliating Yami, elated him. He could feel himself nearing the end, and he struggled to warn Seto. "S-Seto, move y-your hand, I- I'm-" he didn't want to dirty someone so... pure. Seto ignored his warnings, however, and Yami came into Seto's hand, arching into the loving warmth. "Oh-oh, god. Sorry... you're all d-dirty now..." he panted. Seto just glared at him.

"Oh? And now who's apologizing? Shut up. Don't apologize," he mimicked Yami before pulling him into a deep, passionate kiss that seemed to last an eternity. A warm, blissful eternity, that Yami never wanted to end.

* * *

A/N: Well, there you go. I've had this on my computer for a while, but I kept putting it off because I'm lazy. sorry. I was proofreading it... haha I must have been tired when I wrote it. some parts made no sense, whatsoever. Thanks for reading!!! Review, please? I love you all!!

~alex~


	17. Chapter Sixteen

(I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh)

**A/N**: Finally, here's a lemon for all of you. took me forever to write, for whatever reason. I hope you like it....

*************Chapter 16*************

* * *

Yami woke up, more comfortable and content than he had ever been, and it took him a moment to figure out what was so much different about this morning. _Oh, yeah. _He remembered the previous night as he rolled over, catching sight of the god-like figure beside him. He still couldn't believe that Seto loved **him** and no one else; he'd thought that no one would ever love him like that. As he scooted closer to his love, nestling into his chest, Seto opened his blue eyes sleepily, yawning and smiling at the same time when he saw Yami.

"Hey, sweetheart. How'd you sleep?" he asked him, not entirely awake. Yami nodded.

"Not too badly... and you?"

"Amazing. After all, you were right here, weren't you? It doesn't get much better than that..." He suddenly snagged Yami around the waist, his hands grasping Yami's frail hips. He pulled him on top of him, so that he was straddling Seto, laughing at the dumbfounded look on Yami's face. "Come here," he demanded, chuckling. Yami leaned forward and put one hand behind Seto's head as the taller boy pulled lightly on his hair, bringing him into a warm kiss. "You're... perfect for me. You know that?" Yami blushed, but shook his head.

"I'm sure you could find someone much better, although I'm not complaining that you have low standards." Seto raised an eyebrow, feigning anger.

"Excuse me? Did you just insult my taste in men? I take offense to that..." Yami leaned forward, teasing him.

"Oh really? Well, is there any way to make it up to you?" He was only half joking, and Seto seemed to sense that. In one fluid movement, he (somehow) had flipped them so that he was now straddling Yami's chest.

"Oh, I dunno... we could-" He kissed Yami fiercely- "probably work something out, don't you think?" Yami's pulse sped up noticeably. He tried to pull Seto closer, but realized that he couldn't move his arms the way they were pinned next to his body. He struggled weakly.

"Seto, get off of my arms, please. I can't feel them..." They were starting to fall asleep, but Seto allowed Yami a little more movement. Not for long, though, as a few seconds later, he'd gathered Yami as much in his arms as possible and was holding him closely, kissing him intensely.

"Yami," Seto whispered as Yami ran his hands along his back and sides. They still had no shirts on, and the moment Yami started tugging at the waistband of Seto's pants, Seto was helping to remove Yami's as well. "Yami? Are you okay?" he asked, panting in Yami's ear as his erection brushed his leg. Yami moaned in response. "Yami, what do you want me to do?" He fixed Seto with a look that made it pretty damn obvious. "Yami, just tell me if you're uncomfortable. You promise?" Yami nodded tentatively. He wasn't at all sure that he wanted this, but at that moment, it seemed to be right. He promised himself that no matter what, he wouldn't let himself regret any of this.

"I'm fine... I swear." Seto hesitated only for a moment more before trapping him in a deep kiss that Yami eagerly returned. He could feel the taller boy's hands moving in circles on his chest, circles that moved lower and lower with each repetition. Soon, his hand was nearing... _that_ area, and Yami stiffened involuntarily. Seto stopped immediately, making Yami whine in displeasure. "No, don't... don't stop. I'm fine..." When he was convinced that he really was okay, Seto continued to touch Yami, carefully pushing one finger inside of him, then two, and, after what felt like forever, three. Yami braced himself, determined not to react badly to this.

"You okay?" Seto asked, as he continued to work his fingers in small movements, gradually preparing Yami. He nodded, not trusting his voice. He was ready for this, he realized. Emotionally, he was ready to leave whatever pain he had experienced and to be happy again. Fueled by this revelation, he wove his fingers through Seto's hair and pulled him forward into another kiss. When Seto finally pulled away, the look in his eyes made Yami's pulse soar. "Are... are you ready? It's okay if you aren't. If you don't want to, just tell me..." Yami shook his head at Seto's nervous words.

"I'm ready," he whispered, and Seto slowly positioned himself. Yami could see that his hands were shaking, and he felt slightly more at ease. Then, there was... pain. He gasped, cursing himself for doing so, but unable to resist. "I-I'm okay... just... yeah, I'm okay," he said, murmuring a constant stream of reassurances as Seto apologized over and over again. When he grew accustomed to the feeling, he tugged at Seto's arm, encouraging him. He pushed inside Yami even further, and then began slowly rocking back and forth. Yami clenched his teeth; it felt good, but it hurt, and it still brought back bad memories. As long as he kept telling himself that this was **Seto,** not his father, not... not **him**, he was okay. Well, more than okay, really. He softly moaned Seto's name.

"Fuck, Yami," Seto groaned, increasing his pace. With each tiny movement, soft whines and moans would escape, unbidden, from Yami, and they seemed to encourage Seto. Yami came suddenly, allowing a choked moan, and Seto was not long after. As they lay on the bed, panting and sweating, they embraced tightly. Yami was shaking from the very thought of what he had just done, and the fact that he had actually enjoyed it. This was a new concept.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Seto asked as he brushed a few sweaty strands of hair from Yami's face. Yami felt conflicted; he wanted to talk to Seto, to tell him everything, but he feared rejection. He took a deep breath, deciding that he had to tell him.

"So... is it okay if I tell you what happened... before? With the last person I-I- you know, liked?" he whispered, stumbling on some of the words.

"Of course it's okay! I told you to talk to me if you ever wanted to..." Seto ruffled his hair lovingly, but Yami could see the concern in his eyes.

"But... But I want you to still like me." He was mortified saying the words. Seto sighed.

"Yami... Unless it involves murdering small children, or lighting kittens on fire, I **swear** I will still like you. Even then, I'd probably still like you. Just tell me?" Yami giggled nervously at Seto's joke, but sobered almost immediately. He remained silent for almost a full minute before he was actually able to speak.

"Um... okay. So you know how everyone at school hates me?" Seto growled at the mention of those complete fools, but nodded. "You know they don't like me because I'm gay, but they don't hate the other gay people. There aren't that many, but there are a few. Well... there was this teacher, and everyone really liked him. He was a good teacher, and he was kind of famous. He was one of the creators of that Duel Monsters game that Yugi and Mokuba play." Seto nodded again, encouraging Yami to continue. "Well... he liked me a lot. He said that I was his favorite student, and he would always ask me to help him out with stuff, like grading kids' papers. He was so nice to me, and I... I felt good with him. I felt safe. He _**knew**_, Seto. He knew about my dad, and he still... He made me feel special, and he convinced me that he loved me, when nobody else even noticed my existence. And at first, he would just invite me to his house for lunch, and we would talk about school and stuff, and then about our lives, and then, he...he wanted more, and more..." He stopped, swallowing hard. Seto noticed tears beginning in his eyes, and stroked his hair soothingly. "I should have seen it. He said that if I actually loved him, that I would have sex with him, and that if I didn't, it was because I was so young and immature. He said that when adults were in love, that's what they did, and that the reason he wanted me was because he loved me. And then people found out. He got fired, and everyone blamed **me** that their favorite teacher had been fired. They said that I was a slut, and a whore, and that I slept with him so that I would get good grades, and that I seduced him. It's not true, though, Seto. I thought he actually liked me, I-" He was getting hysterical, and Seto fought to calm him.

"Yami! Yami, calm down, please! It's okay. It isn't your fault. That bastard knew full well what he was doing, and he went ahead and took advantage of you. Yami, it wasn't your fault. I still love you. Look! I love you!" He forced Yami to meet his eyes before he kissed him, slowly and deeply, trying to reassure him. "You okay now?" Yami didn't respond for a moment.

"But... I'm so stupid. I should have known that he wouldn't want me. I'm sorry... I'm so... disgusting." Yami's voice was barely audible, and tears silently ran down his face. Seto tried to wipe them away, but his efforts were proven futile as more took their place.

"Yami, shut up. Please, just shut the hell up. Okay? You. Are. **Not**. Disgusting. Do I make myself clear? Seto Kaiba does **not** like disgusting things; Seto Kaiba likes Yami Mutou; therefore, by the transitive property, Yami Mutou is not disgusting. Make sense?" Yami stared at him incredulously.

"You-you're making _math jokes_?" He burst out laughing despite his previous state. "You.... are a nerd. You know that? A nerd." Seto pretended to be hurt.

"Why would you even _say_ such a thing?"

"Because it's true, and you know it." Seto shrugged.

"True enough, true enough. But I'm a sexy nerd..." Yami hit him with a pillow. "You're just jealous because my logic is infallible..." Yami laughed again, punching him playfully.

"Just keep telling yourself that." He stretched, wincing slightly at the pain in his stiff muscles. Seto noticed, but decided to keep quiet. Yami wouldn't listen to his apologies anyway, and he'd rather not argue about it. After getting cleaned up and dressed, they headed downstairs, only to find Yugi and Bakura sprawled out together on the couch. Well, at least they were wearing clothes...

"Yugi, wake up!" Yami shook his brother awake. "Yugi!" The boy yawned, looking around blearily as Bakura stretched.

"What's goin' on?"

"It's almost noon. Why are you two even here?" His voice sounded a bit sharper than he had intended, and Bakura put his arm around Yugi protectively.

"Hey! Don't talk to Yugi like that," he chastised Yami, glaring daggers at him.

"He's _my_ brother! I'll talk to him however I want to!" He wasn't pleased with the way Bakura was talking to him, but secretly a little relieved that he was protective of Yugi.

"No fighting in my house," Seto reminded them cautiously. They settled for glaring at each other instead. "But seriously, why are you two here? I thought you were at your house..." Bakura shrugged.

"You're gonna have to ask your brother. All I know is that things were getting kinda... interesting... with him and Ryou when we left. Didn't really wanna know. So Yugi said it would probably be okay if we crashed here." Seto looked stunned. "Don't worry. We didn't do anything bad to your couch," he assured Seto. Yami practically choked, blushing furiously and Bakura smirked evilly. "What's wrong, you jealous that your little brother gets more action than you?" Yami's face flushed, and Yugi's face was nearing the same color. "It's okay. I'll explain it when you're older..." Suddenly, Seto came up behind Yami, circling his arms around him.

"Thank you, Bakura, for your generous offer, but I do believe that Yami understands _perfectly_ what you mean," he countered. The other boy burst out into loud, obnoxious laughter.

"Oh, man. I like you," he told Seto. A small whine escaped from Yugi, and Bakura spun around quickly, catching him in a forceful kiss.

"Ugh," Yami muttered, turning to Seto. "That was something I could have lived a full and happy life without seeing..."

"Agreed. Let's get out of here." As they left the house, Seto called to the two lovers, "Hey, please don't mess up my house, you guys..." He received no reply, so he and Yami hurriedly got into the car. "Well?" he asked Yami once they were buckled. "Where to?"

"Anywhere is fine," Yami answered truthfully. "As long as I'm with you."

* * *

**A/N:** So there it is. sorry if you don't like it... I'm trying. review, please? I love you all!!!

Also, if you want more of the Yugi/Bakura story, read Innocent Eyes, my other story. I think I already mentioned it, but it's a companion to this one. thanks!

~alex~


	18. Chapter Seventeen

(I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh)

A/N: Gah! the last chapter!!! XD enjoy!!

* * *

*************Chapter 17 *************

* * *

Their outing had started out unremarkable; Yami had refused to decide where they would go, even though Seto still didn't really know much about the area, so they went further into town. They stopped at a fast food place for ice cream, which they ate in the park. Yami was still a little shy about their relationship and showing affection in front of other people, but if Seto was uncomfortable about it at all, he hid it well as he wrapped his arm tightly around Yami's waist.

"_**Yami!!!**_"

"What the-" Yami had to fight to remain standing when a brown-haired girl launched herself at him, hugging him tightly.

"Yami, how are you? I haven't seen you in forever!" Well, she was certainly excited... Yami looked slightly taken aback, but not unhappy to see her.

"Tea! What are you doing here?"

"We're staying with my aunt and uncle for the weekend! But how have things been going?"

"Uh, I'm okay... you?" He'd noticed her companions; he recognized the two girls from his chem class. Neither he nor Tea noticed the scathing glares that Seto was sending in the girls' direction.

"Good! This is my cousin, Emily-" she pointed to the brown-haired girl, whose smile looked slightly pained "-and this is my other cousin, Jess." The blond girl gave a little wave. "You guys know each other well enough, right?" They nodded. Tea looked questioningly at Seto.

"Oh! Sorry, I forgot." Yami was getting flustered. He knew the two girls weren't exactly fond of him... "Seto, this is Tea. Our families have been friends since we were born. Tea, um, this- this is m-my... my b-boyfriend, Seto." He could feel his cheeks burning as he stumbled over the words. Tea, however, sounded more than excited.

"_Oh, my God!!!"_ she shrieked, jumping on Yami again."I'm so excited!!! You finally got a man!!!" She suddenly whirled around to glare at Seto, who held his hands up in surrender. "And you had better not break his heart," she warned menacingly.

"Tea!" Yami was mortified, but Seto merely smiled and nodded slightly.

"Don't worry. I have no intention of doing anything like that. If I do, then please, by all means, feel free to hunt me down and kill me in the slowest, most agonizing way you can imagine. He doesn't deserve to be hurt, and I'd rather die than hurt him." He tightened the arm that he had unconsciously draped over Yami's shoulders while he talked, pulling him closer in a protective embrace. "I love him." Emily and Jess seemed mildly uncomfortable, while Tea nodded her approval, winking at Yami.

"I approve," she whispered loudly, making them all laugh. After a moment of awkward fidgeting, Emily finally cleared her throat, fussing nervously with her hair.

"So, um... we have to get going pretty soon, but we wanted to, like, apologize for being, like, such bitches to you." She spoke quickly, color quickly filling her cheeks. "Everyone at school, like, said all kinds of shit, and sorry that we, like, believed it, but, like, Tea told us that none of it is true, so like, we're really sorry about that." Yami wasn't sure how to react. The girl was obviously being genuine, but he wasn't accustomed to dealing with apologies.

"Oh! Uh, um, it's okay..." Her eyes lit up, and Jess turned to Seto.

"Also, that thing with the flowers and the locker that you did, was, like, really romantic and cute. Like, all the guys talk shit, but, like, it's because a lot of the girls are like, jealous that their guys aren't that sweet. So, yeah... a bunch of girls think you guys are a really cute couple..." She seemed at a loss for what to say, so Seto stepped in.

"Well... I had no idea we were so.... famous." Tea laughed, and Emily smiled before responding.

"Surely by now you've noticed that like absolutely _nothing_ happens here. _**Ever.**_ So, like, when something different happens, everyone, like, jumps on it." She glanced at her watch. "We gotta go meet my mom. But we'll see you guys later, okay?" They waved as the two departed. Tea cheerfully turned to Yami.

"So, Yami. How's your family doing?" Both Seto and Yami tensed visibly. "Shit. Dude, what happened?" All hint of her previous cheerful manner was gone instantly, replaced with concern.

"Ah- nothing terribly huge. I mean, yeah, but... um, my mom left, to go live with some boyfriend of hers, and Dad just kind of freaked out... I mean, you know how he gets... when he's angry. Except it was a lot worse."

"Bastard," Tea muttered. She turned to Seto. "You. Come with me. We have a murder to commit," she ordered, her face completely serious. Seto nodded solemnly, his expression identical.

"Yes, indeed. How would you like to kill him? Something painful, and bloody, I think."

"Oh, yes. Good idea." Yami shoved Tea lightly, and tried to punch Seto.

"Dear God, you two are scary, you know that?" Seto deftly caught the punch, using it to twirl Yami around and plant a soft kiss on his lips.

"It's because we love you." Tea applauded in appreciation.

"So are you and Yugi okay? What happened with that?" Yami blushed again.

"We are actually staying at Seto's house right now..." Her eyes went wide.

"Wait. So you two are living together?"

"Well, it's my parents house, and he and Yugi are just staying there, as it's unsafe for them to go back to their dad..." She waved away his explanations.

"Pleh. Details, details. The _point_ is, you two are living in the same house together, and you're two extremely attractive young guys who are dating. You know what that means, don't you?" Seto looked utterly stumped, an rare occurrence.

"Uh..."

"**Adorable yaoi moments!!!**" she shrieked, jumping on Yami for a third time.

"You know what I think?" Seto asked, his tone stern. Tea backed off, concerned that she had offended him.

"Uh, what? I'm sorry about that..." He shook his head.

"I think you would get along _perfectly_ with my fangirl of a mother."

"Really? Yes! That means I'll have to spend more time with you two! And how's Yugi doing?" Yami moaned, while Seto just sighed. "What? What's the matter?"

"So, you remember Bakura? Ryou's brother? He's in our grade..."

"Yeah! That crazy albino kid?" Seto smirked at her description.

"Yeah. That's the one. Well... he and Yugi are together, and they won't keep their hands off of each other..." Tea's mouth was hanging open as she stared at Yami.

"_Bakura?!_ Why _Bakura _of all people?" Yami shook his head.

"Apparently they've liked each other for a while... and I have to admit, as much as I don't like him, he treats Yugi really well."

"Well, he'd _better_," Tea huffed. "Hmm... I dunno about that. Maybe more adorable yaoi moments?" Seto rolled his eyes and Yami buried his face in his hands. "Oh, shit! My bus! We're coming back for winter break, give you a call then. Bye!!!" They watched in awe as she sprinted to the bus stop, barely making it in time.

"Well," Seto sighed. "That was certainly interesting..."

"Yeah... sorry about her. She means well though..." Yami seemed overly apologetic.

"No, no! I liked her. She was just... very energetic." Yami laughed, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah. She can kind of wear you out."

"You wanna go back and just relax for the rest of the day?" Yami nodded enthusiastically, but his expression turned to one of absolute horror as his face turned deathly pale. "Yami? What's wrong?"

"Shh!" he hissed. "Just stay in front of me... hide me." Seto could feel his adrenaline kicking in.

"Yami, you need to tell me what I'm hiding you from."

"_Him!_"

"That tells me nothing, Yami!" He was losing his patience. Yami pointed a shaky finger. Slowly, Seto turned to look in the direction indicated. Shit. Shit shit _shit._ Yami's father was leaning against a light post no more than twenty feet away from them, and had clearly already been drinking. He looked absolutely livid, although from what Seto could tell, that was nothing new. "Okay, don't panic," he whispered to a trembling Yami. "Just walk that way, I'll stay behind you. Okay? Just walk, and maybe he won't see us." He knew that there was very little chance that he _wouldn't _see them, but he didn't want Yami to have one of his panic attacks.

However, before him and Yami could make a getaway, Seto was knocked to the ground by a harsh blow to the back of his head. Dizzy, he struggled to get to his feet. Fortunately, there were a few people around. Unfortunately, the man already had one hand clenched tightly around his son's wrist, and was squeezing hard enough that the skin was already beginning to bruise. Seto staggered to his feet, and attempted to go towards Yami, but was held back by a concerned bystander.

"Don't go over there! That guy is psycho!" Seto dug his phone out of his pocket, and shoved it roughly at the woman.

"Call the police, now. That boy is the man's son; he's tried to kill him once already." He didn't wait for a response as he broke away from her grasp, his vision clear, but his head pounding.

"Dad, Dad, Dad, no, don't do this, especially not here where there are so many people, Dad, no, no..." Seto's heart ached at the sound of Yami's sobbing, but the pain was soon replaced by fury.

"Shut up, you whore. You think I didn't see you with that kid? Huh? You think you could fool me? Stupid whore! This is why no one wants you!"

"No, no no no no!" This was bad. Seto could hear Yami losing that last shred of control, breaking down completely, but the concerned spectators had once again grabbed him and held him back, preventing him from rushing to Yami's side immediately. "He loves me. He loves me. He loves me," Yami kept muttering to himself. The large man laughed cruelly.

"He _loves _you? Bullshit! You know who he is, don't you? And his parents? Filthy rich. Could have any guy in the world, and why would he keep you around? 'Cause you're a good fuck, that's why. Trust me, I would know." That was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. With renewed strength, Seto pushed through the crowd until he reached them. By this point, the man had both of Yami's arms. Yami wasn't even fighting any more; he just hung there in his father's grip, his eyes focused on nothing, tears streaming silently down his face.

"Let go of him. Now." Seto's voice was shaking with rage.

"Why the fuck should I let go of him? He's my son!" The only good part about the situation was that everyone around them could clearly hear what the man was saying. "I'll do with him what I want!"

"No! No, no you won't. Not when 'what you want' involves rape!" He felt as if he were being torn in two as Yami flinched violently at the very sound of the word. _Forgive me, Yami,_ he pleaded silently.

"It isn't rape." What the fuck?

"How do you figure?" Seto spat out.

"He's a whore. He loves every second of it! Don't you, you little slut?" He shook Yami roughly, slapping his cheek as the boy shook his head forcefully.

"Do. Not. Hit. Him." Apparently, even the thick-skulled moron could hear the dangerous tone to Seto's voice, and he shoved a sobbing Yami forcefully to the cement.

"Fine! Take him! He's worthless anyway!" he yelled drunkenly as he tried to leave. He was stopped by two men, larger than himself, who looked at him as if he were something disgusting on the bottom of their shoe. "Let me go!" he shouted. When they refused, he launched into a barrage of slurred insults and curses. Seto knelt by the fallen boy, waving away the concerned woman who approached them.

"Hey, Yami, it's okay, love. It's okay. Look." Yami flinched violently away from his touch.

"No! Don't touch me!" His voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Yami, it's me! It's me. It's okay!"

"No, it fucking _isn't_ okay!" Seto was shocked by the anger in the words. "No, it isn't! Because he's fucking right! I'm just a stupid **whore**, and that's all anyone will want me for!" Seto sighed.

"Yami, shut the fuck up. That's bullshit, and you know it. When has that bastard **ever** told you the truth? When has he **ever** given you reason to trust him on anything? You don't trust him, but you're going to now, now that he's playing on your insecurities? Do you really think that lowly of me, that I'd keep you around for a 'good fuck?' I don't know how I can get you to really, truly believe that I love you; I've tried everything, and you still won't fucking believe me. I love you! I can't put it any simpler than that..."

Seto's profession of love, however, was interrupted. "Sir? Are you injured?" When had the police and paramedics arrived? Seto hadn't even heard the sirens...

"No, no, I'm fine. Help him," he ordered the man.

"Sir, we were told that you were struck in the back of the head... we need to make sure you don't have any head trauma."

"Help him first. Then me," he insisted. The man nodded, reaching over to help Yami.

"No no no! Don't touch me!" Yami shrieked at the top of his lungs. "No, no... no, please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Don't hurt me, please..." He was, by this point, hysterical. The paramedic was looking frantic as he struggled to calm Yami enough so that he could get a face mask on him. Seto knelt next to Yami's head, sending the paramedic to stand back with a glare. Gently, he touched Yami's back, shushing him softly as he flinched. He started rubbing the boy's back in small circles that gradually got larger as he murmured condolences to him, and slowly, the frantic cries subsided to a more steady, subdued sobbing.

"Shh... See? It's okay, love. I'm here. Look, your dad's in the police car. In the back. With the hand cuffs. See? He's not gonna hurt you. Shhh, it's okay..." Eventually, he was able to convince Yami to allow him to slip the oxygen mask over his head, and his breathing became less erratic. Seto glanced at the police officer who had come to stand by the paramedic, and shook his head at him to let him know that Yami was not yet ready. The officer nodded in recognition, and Seto spent the next five minutes comforting Yami, explaining what was going on and calming him down, to the point of rational thought. The woman who had called the police had given Seto's phone to the officer, and when Yami was stable enough to stand, the man approached them slowly.

"Hey, guys. You okay there?" Yami only flinched slightly this time. "Don't worry. I'm going to help you, okay? You'll be okay." Seto shot the man a grateful look, and the man handed him his cell phone. "I need you to contact his family for me." Seto nodded shortly, holding Yami's hand tightly. He quickly called Yugi, who fortunately answered almost immediately.

"Yugi? I need you to get in touch with your mom, and you two need to meet us at the police station. Is Mokuba around? Good. Have him contact my father, and tell him to come home immediately."

"What?! Is Yami okay? What the hell happened?"

"He's okay, he's here. We had a run-in with..." He stopped there.

"My dad?"

"Yep."

"That fucker. I'll fucking kill him," he said, sounding more matter-of-fact than angry. Seto could hear Bakura's concerned voice in the background.

"You and me both. Now just get down here. See you then." The ride to the station was uneventful; Yami stared silently out the window, and the officer didn't ask any questions. They were taken to a waiting room where a kind officer sat with them, gently asking Yami questions. With encouragement from Seto, he was able to tell her what she needed to know, and less than an hour later, Yugi rushed in, followed by a worried-looking Bakura. A few steps behind them came a woman who looked like she didn't want to be there. She sighed and rolled her eyes when she saw Yami's swollen eyes, and tapped her foot impatiently.

"God, _now_ what's his problem?" Seto was about to leap for her throat, but Yugi beat him to it.

"Shut the fuck up, Mom. His problem is that he has parents like you and dad. Now stop being such a selfish bitch and actually do your job as a parent for once." She was too stunned to scold him for talking to her like that, and she sat down without another word.

"Oh my God, Yami baby! Are you okay, sweetie?" Seto's mother came flying into the room, instantly enveloping Yami in a warm hug, her hair falling around him as she kissed the top of his head. He reached up and wrapped his arms around her, clutching her tightly as she stroked his hair and murmured to him. Yugi turned triumphantly to his own mother.

"Are you taking notes, **M****om**?" He spat out that word with contempt. "And I use that term loosely... That's how you're supposed to do your job..." Yugi must have been trying to provoke her, because she looked about ready to smack him.

When the detective tried speaking to Yami's mother, she threw up her hands.

"You want the truth? I don't fucking care! They're the only ones who care about the faggot, let them be his guardians. I'm sick of dealing with his shit!" Yugi jumped out of his chair, red-faced.

"What the _**fuck**_, Mom! You don't love him because he's gay? Well guess what, you stupid bitch!" He pulled a surprised Bakura in for a passionate kiss.

"Okay, that's it. I've had it with both of you failures. I'm out of here," she announced, glaring at her younger son with disgust.

"Ma'am, you _are_ his legal guardian. You have custody of both of your sons."

"Don't want it!"

"Are you revoking custody of them?"

"Yeah. You two," she called to Mr. and Mrs. Kaiba. "Would you be willing to act as their legal guardians?" Seto's father's eyes widened, while his mother's mouth fell open in shock.

"Are you _serious?_ What kind of mother are you? These are your _children_ you're talking about giving away to people you don't even _know!!_" She was livid, but Yami's mother just glared.

"I know damn well what I'm talking about. Now will you act as their guardians, or what?" The couple didn't need to consult each other.

"Yes!" they answered in unison. Seto's mother glared at Yami's, wishing that she could shoot lasers from her eyes (she pretended like she could, imagining the shooting sounds as well), as she signed away her children. As soon as she was able to, she was out of her seat, fixing her hair, checking her lipstick, and rearranging her cleavage.

"B-bye, Mom," Yami called softly. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not," Yugi muttered murderously.

"Huh? Oh, bye, Yami. Bye, Yugi," she responded automatically as she breezed through the door. Yugi was shaking with anger.

"That stupid fucking whore!" he hissed. Bakura pulled him in to a tight hug.

"Woah, now. Calm down, Yuge. She's not worth losin' your temper." Seto was more inclined to agree with Yugi as he sat with Yami, still holding his hand. Bakura turned to Seto. "So does that make you two brothers, or what?"

"Bakura, shut up. Not the time for that," Yugi snapped. Bakura looked so hurt that Seto couldn't help feeling bad for him.

"Aww, it's okay, Yugi. He was just wondering. And NO, we AREN'T brothers."

Yami slowly returned to his normal self as the evening went on. Seto drove Yami back to the house, and Bakura drove Yugi. Seto's parents had to stop by the company to take care of the business they had rushed out on earlier. When Seto arrived home, he found Ryou and Mokuba looking slightly panicked as they rearranged their clothes and tidied their hair. Bakura, who had just walked in the door, raised an eyebrow at his glaring little brother, catcalling quietly. Ryou (not so) discreetly gave him the finger, and Mokuba just avoided all eye contact with anyone.

"Yami, it's okay!" Seto finally sighed to Yami, who kept shooting him nervous looks, as they were laying on the couch later that evening.

"Sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"For being so much trouble all the time. And **don't** say I don't complicate things, because I do!" Seto rolled his eyes.

"Fine. You **totally** overcomplicate things, because you can't live with yourself and just accept the fact that everyone who actually has half a brain in their head absolutely loves you. And even though some things concerning you are trouble, you are more than worth it." He didn't give Yami a chance to argue with him as he kissed him aggressively, biting slightly at his lower lip.

"HEY!" The two of them practically leapt off of the sofa in alarm, only to find Bakura standing there laughing. "Sorry, you guys, but you wouldn't let me 'n' Yugi do anything either. Just makin' sure you guys follow the rules."

"Bakura," Yami said wearily. "When the fuck have you **ever** cared about the rules?" The albino shrugged.

"Oh, I care about them on occasion, but only when they work for me." Seto and Yami rolled their eyes, and went back to their previous activities, making Bakura laugh obnoxiously on his way out of the room.

When the Kaiba parents returned home, they were bearing pizza (which is obviously better than gold, frankincense, _or _myrrh), and insisted that everyone stay for dinner. Fortunately, they had bought enough pizza to feed an army (not a small one, either), because Bakura ate an entire pizza by himself.

After dinner, Seto's mother sought out Yami alone. Her eyes still held their mischievous gleam, but her expression was gentle and genuine.

"Yami, sweetie, what's wrong? Something else is bothering you. What's the matter?" she asked him softly, stroking his cheek lovingly. He found it hard to look her in the eye.

"I'm just really sorry for all the inconvenience I've caused. I swear that as soon as I'm 18, I can have custody of Yugi, and we'll get out of your hair. I'm just really sorry for imposing..." She was shaking her head.

"Yami, you're under the impression that I'm going to _let_ you out of our hair when you turn 18."

"But I-"

"You aren't imposing, and I would be more offended if you tried to leave us as soon as you could. So if you don't want to insult me, you can't leave when you turn 18. I told you already, we're going to take care of you, whether you want us to or not." Yami sighed, knowing that he'd lost. She took his hands in her own. "Yami, we all love you. We _want _you here, Yami. You belong here with us." She hugged him again, and then they went back out to the living room, where everyone else was playing a game of Scrabble. Apparently, the rules were moot, because Mokuba was throwing the letter tiles, and Ryou was jabbing him with the wooden pieces. Bakura was using his tiles to spell out sexual words, while a red-cheeked Yugi struggled to destroy the words as quickly as they were being made. Seto held out his arms, and Yami gladly joined him. There, in the arms of his love, surrounded by people who he loved and who loved him, Yami knew he had finally found his home.

* * *

_:~:end:~:_

* * *

A/N: What?! How did this even happen?! I wasn't intending to write the last chapter, but I sat down and started typing, and it just worked out that way. Sorry if the legal stuff is all messed up. I was getting impatient writing that part, so that's just how their legal system is gonna work, okay? haha but really, please tell me what you think. I would really appreciate reviews!!

I dunno where Tea came from, all last-minute like that. I don't even really like her, but she turned out pretty likable in this. hmm...

Many thanks to soundofmadness223

I love you all!

~alex~


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